Finally Found My Tin Snips

flatheadfisher

I remembered last using my tin snips when I was building an addition to my pigeon loft. I looked all over the place for those tin snips. Finally, I bought another pair. I noticed someone had such an interest in my pigeons this afternoon that he was just sitting on the roof of the loft. I grabbed my camera to make some pictures and when I was processing them, I noticed my tin snips beside him on the roof of the loft! They rusted pretty bad but nothing I can't fix with scotch brite pads on an angle grinder. Here is a pic of the visitor with the snips:

From there, he flew into a tree. He was a real ham for the camera and I think he wanted me to photograph him in better light:


He was so interested in the pigeons. He flew to another loft for a better look. This loft has the homers in it that I just got from Alan this week. I don't think the homers really cared for the visit:



He seemed so hungry. I had an old mutt bird that hadn't been doing too well. I almost euthanized it earlier because I knew he wouldn't make it. So, I thought I'd see if my visitor was really that hungry. I know, I am inviting the enemy to feed at my table. But, I was curious. I tossed the poor old sick pigeon and the visitor caught him just before he hit the ground - even with my viscious attack dogs going right for him. I only wish I had set the ISO back to 400 or higher. I shot these free handed and wasn't even looking through the view finder:


He flew off in the woods without even saying a word. I wanted to photograph him as he enjoyed the meal. But, I guess he wanted to eat in private.

Andy

flatheadfisher wrote:

I remembered last using my tin snips when I was building an addition to my pigeon loft. I looked all over the place for those tin snips. Finally, I bought another pair. I noticed someone had such an interest in my pigeons this afternoon that he was just sitting on the roof of the loft. I grabbed my camera to make some pictures and when I was processing them, I noticed my tin snips beside him on the roof of the loft! They rusted pretty bad but nothing I can't fix with scotch brite pads on an angle grinder. Here is a pic of the visitor with the snips:

From there, he flew into a tree. He was a real ham for the camera and I think he wanted me to photograph him in better light:


He was so interested in the pigeons. He flew to another loft for a better look. This loft has the homers in it that I just got from Alan this week. I don't think the homers really cared for the visit:



He seemed so hungry. I had an old mutt bird that hadn't been doing too well. I almost euthanized it earlier because I knew he wouldn't make it. So, I thought I'd see if my visitor was really that hungry. I know, I am inviting the enemy to feed at my table. But, I was curious. I tossed the poor old sick pigeon and the visitor caught him just before he hit the ground - even with my viscious attack dogs going right for him. I only wish I had set the ISO back to 400 or higher. I shot these free handed and wasn't even looking through the view finder:


He flew off in the woods without even saying a word. I wanted to photograph him as he enjoyed the meal. But, I guess he wanted to eat in private.

Huh. Let me get this straight - am I to understand you threw a live bird to a bird of prey? A bird you were going to humanely euthanize?

Art Scott

Good captures.

as for the giving of food to an enemy.....you never know he may come back and rid you of smoe snakes and rats in the future. I give a for not wasting the life of a tired old sickly mutt bird.

flatheadfisher

Andy wrote:

Huh. Let me get this straight - am I to understand you threw a live bird to a bird of prey? A bird you were going to humanely euthanize?

I thought it would be distasteful and inappropriate to write that I took the sick pigeon by its little head and spun it around quickly enough to snap its neck then continued to spin until it was nearly decerebrated in an effort to ensure it didn't experience any pain. Even so, I was more concerned about the hawk - even though it looked very healthy, it was unusual to see it hanging out with me and my three dogs in the backyard. I was afraid it hadn't been finding enough prey. I know I had been losing lots of my flying pigeons and I haven't let them out for several weeks.

It appears that I made you feel emotions for the pigeon being eaten by the hawk. I wrote this post in a pigeon forum that I frequent. I copied it here because I liked the photographs and thought folks here would appreciate some of them and the story. In hindsight, I wish I had edited it for content. I am sorry if you feel bad for the pigeon, Andy. Feel free to delete this thread if you think it isn't appropriate.

Thanks,
Michael

borderbrae

flatheadfisher wrote:

I thought it would be distasteful and inappropriate to write that I took the sick pigeon by its little head and spun it around quickly enough to snap its neck then continued to spin until it was nearly decerebrated in an effort to ensure it didn't experience any pain. Even so, I was more concerned about the hawk - even though it looked very healthy, it was unusual to see it hanging out with me and my three dogs in the backyard. I was afraid it hadn't been finding enough prey. I know I had been losing lots of my flying pigeons and I haven't let them out for several weeks.

It appears that I made you feel emotions for the pigeon being eaten by the hawk. I wrote this post in a pigeon forum that I frequent. I copied it here because I liked the photographs and thought folks here would appreciate some of them and the story. In hindsight, I wish I had edited it for content. I am sorry if you feel bad for the pigeon, Andy. Feel free to delete this thread if you think it isn't appropriate.

Thanks,
Michael

No problem here with what you did Michael. I take my dogs hunting and the quarry meets a humane end, the pigeon's death was pretty darn quick I imagine, too. Much better to know the quarry was useful rather than killed and tossed into the trash and wasted.

Jean
Canon XSi, Canon 70-300 IS, Sigma 28-70

kdog

Nice shots and story, Michael. There are some excellent wildlife photographers out there that use live mice to attract raptors, and some of them post in this forum. I'd say you're in good company.

Cheers,
-joel

NomadRip

Nice shots and well-told story. How big are those dogs?

SciurusNiger

This is a young hawk, and therefore both dumb and still relatively inexperienced. It does not have the appropriate wariness of humans seen in adults so what you are teaching it (as we teach every animal with whom we come in contact, whether it runs around on 4 legs or 2) is that humans are safe and they can be an easy source of food. For like all animals, including humans, it is in search of the biggest meal for the least amount of energy expended.

This is an example of how we - we humans - create nuisance wildlife.

As a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, I find the whole thing disturbing as well as rather inappropriate for an "all ages" forum.

flatheadfisher

SciurusNiger wrote:

This is a young hawk, and therefore both dumb and still relatively inexperienced. It does not have the appropriate wariness of humans seen in adults so what you are teaching it (as we teach every animal with whom we come in contact, whether it runs around on 4 legs or 2) is that humans are safe and they can be an easy source of food. For like all animals, including humans, it is in search of the biggest meal for the least amount of energy expended.

This is an example of how we - we humans - create nuisance wildlife.

As a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, I find the whole thing disturbing as well as rather inappropriate for an "all ages" forum.

Ms. Garner, I respect your opinion, your work, and your post to this thread. I really didn't intend for this to become a animal welfare issue! I hoped for constructive criticism on the photographs and that some people would enjoy seeing images of the hawk looking for a meal. As a biologist and educator who enjoys our avian fauna as both a hobby and an academic pursuit, I realize I should have been more sensitive to this audience. I posted this thread on a pigeon fancier's forum that I frequently contribute to. I thought folks here would enjoy the photographs and the story. I simply copied what I wrote on the pigeon forum and pasted it here. In hindsight, I should have edited the comments to be more sensitive for this particular audience.

One of these days I will learn that it is human nature for people to read something such as my initial post and make inferences that are inaccurate because it is impossible to provide all the information in a simple post that is needed to completely understand whatever topic I may be writing about. Usually, it doesn't bother me too much. But, I have spent the last 22 years trying to instill in my college students a respect for all things wild. This thread been taken the wrong way by a couple of folks and that bothers me. For this, I am truly sorry. As I stated earlier, I have no problem if the administrators wish to delete the entire thread.

Nomadrip - the two dogs you can barely make out in the images are Yorkshire Terriers. One is 4.5 lbs and the other is 2.25 lbs (7 mo. old). I have an owl box in a tree in my yard that some barred owls are using. We can't let the little dogs out without watching them closely because we fear they may become a meal. We also have a lab that weighs 105 lbs. We don't worry about him!

Andy

flatheadfisher wrote:

I am sorry if you feel bad for the pigeon, Andy.

It's not my cuppa tea, but hey, what do I know? I'm not a bird expert!

NomadRip

flatheadfisher wrote:

Nomadrip - the two dogs you can barely make out in the images are Yorkshire Terriers. One is 4.5 lbs and the other is 2.25 lbs (7 mo. old). I have an owl box in a tree in my yard that some barred owls are using. We can't let the little dogs out without watching them closely because we fear they may become a meal. We also have a lab that weighs 105 lbs. We don't worry about him!

Exactly why I was askin'. Keep an eye on those little guys with all those birds of prey around...of course around here, we have to make sure they don't get too close to the water's edge, too

Harryb

Those are pretty good hawk captures Michael. Very interesting behavioral captures also.

A couple of thoughts on some of the issues raised here. First, the feeding of wild animals is generally frowned upon in the wildlife community. The feeding of wildlife by humans has disrupted their normal hunting patterns. In this situation the hawk has learned that there's food to be had at your place. It may hang around. If you fly your pigeons the hawk may help himself to one that you may not want to give up.

The pigeon here sounds like a goner and the end it met was no worse than what was in store for itself anyhow. At least it fed a hungry hawk instead of being thrown in the garbage. I have witnessed birds getting eaten by raptors and gators. I have also seen the birds eat snakes, frogs, fish, etc. Its the way of nature.

When I shoot wildlife my intent is to capture it in its environment. I always try to avoid interacting with my subjects or having them responding to me.

Enough of the talk, Congrats on some interesting captures.

Maestro

Harryb wrote:

Those are pretty good hawk captures Michael. Very interesting behavioral captures also.

A couple of thoughts on some of the issues raised here. First, the feeding of wild animals is generally frowned upon in the wildlife community. The feeding of wildlife by humans has disrupted their normal hunting patterns. In this situation the hawk has learned that there's food to be had at your place. It may hang around. If you fly your pigeons the hawk may help himself to one that you may not want to give up.

The pigeon here sounds like a goner and the end it met was no worse than what was in store for itself anyhow. At least it fed a hungry hawk instead of being thrown in the garbage. I have witnessed birds getting eaten by raptors and gators. I have also seen the birds eat snakes, frogs, fish, etc. Its the way of nature.

When I shoot wildlife my intent is to capture it in its environment. I always try to avoid interacting with my subjects or having them responding to me.

Enough of the talk, Congrats on some interesting captures.

I couldn't have said it better. Handsome hawk too.

bfjr

Maestro wrote:

I couldn't have said it better. Handsome hawk too.

I do have One Question ??

There's really a, "Pigeon Forum" ???? :wow

Ric Grupe

I found your post interesting.

Photography and nature don't always have to be pretty...and quite often aren't.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

flatheadfisher

Indeed, there are many pigeon forums. I started with pigeons to use to train my hunting dogs with. They can be released in the field with remote release cages when the dog finds them. It helps the dog learn to be steady at the gun shot and the pigeons use their homing instinct to come back home. I became interested in some of their genetics and now I have a big flock. I have several projects that I am working on as far as their genetics is concerned and it is a lot of fun to watch them fly. The raptors can take a lot of the flying birds, especially during their migration. The breed that I have comes from the middle east where they have been breed for generations to out-fly raptors. I have had several species of hawks chase my pigeons but I haven't had much luck getting pictures. The Cooper's Hawks have the best luck catching them because of their ability to ambush the pigeons as they come to the loft. The Coops are also very good at following them through the trees. I had to put a cover on the trap doors because one Cooper's Hawk kept getting into the loft. She never ate more than one pigeon but it really freaked the other birds out!

Here are some pics. The juvenile red tail hung around here for several days. I don't think it ever caught a pigeon but he gave chase on numerous occasions.




I get lots of practice trying to get good images of the birds flying. Usually, they are not in focus. I have a Digital Rebel XTi and a EF 100-400L. I wonder if I upgraded the camera if the autofocus mechanism would make it easier for me to get better images?