Hawks

In the past couple weeks 2 different people told us they had lost many chickens to hawks.  I told both of them we hadn't had that problem.  I really didn't think we would have one either.  I don't know why I felt so confident about it.  I shouldn't have.  Earlier this week I saw a red tailed hawk swoop down and try to get the only chick Soosie has left.  Somehow it missed and all the chickens and ducks ran under bushes and screamed and screamed.  Soosie and her chick stayed under our butterfly bush for a few hours.  She was very nervous.  I saw the hawk sitting on our grape arbor so I scared her away.  I didn't see her again that day. 

Later this afternoon we heard chickens and ducks making a racket and James ran out and saw a hawk with one of our smaller ducks pinned to the ground.  James chased it away and the duck escaped.  Not much later the hawk was back, this time with one of our full-grown chickens in its clutch.  I don't know how the hawk thought it could carry a bird as big or bigger than itself away.  James ran out again and the hawk flew away without the chicken but the chicken was already dead.  I had just showered and put on nice clothes to go out in but quickly changed into dirty clothes and butchered the chicken and added it to the ice water we had 2 turkeys chilling in.  It was not a good day for birds on our farm.