Sharp-shinned hawk

For the last two days we've had a visitor to the henhouse and aviary, the sharp-shinned hawk seen above.  To the right is a much better picture of this species of hawk, which I shamelessly snagged off the internet.  The first picture I took from inside the house, right before I went outside and scared him off with a broom and some choice words.

While I believe he's hanging around the coop because of the two doves and Floyd the pigeon, I can't be too sure.  Sharpies, as they are called, are generally known for flying off with small game like sparrows, doves and squirrels, however they have also been known to occasionally take down a full-size chicken (if its isolated from its flock and out in the open) and eat it right there on the ground where it's taken.

If you're attuned to the normal sounds and noises around your property, you will almost always know when there's a hawk present. The meadowlarks, finches, sparrows and even the jays go completely silent out in fields and in the trees.  Inside the aviary, there's a general rush of wings as everything attempts to fly under cover, to safety, and then it also goes completely still.  That was the general situation when I checked out the window and saw our friend on top of the run.  

Truly, the term, "it was quiet -- too quiet" must have gotten its start in the barnyard, in the presence of a predator. 

So for the time being, my hens are mostly confined to their chicken run and henhouse.  While the run and coop are quite roomy and therefore not truly confining, I like knowing they are out and about in the garden during at least part of the day, keeping the insect population under control and fortifying their diet by eating those as well as a variety of weeds, seeds, and soils from our property.

But safety first, at least until this fellow migrates on to wherever he's going.  And if I stay vigilant, he'll at least realize the meal he's wanting is not available here and move on someplace else in the neighborhood before continuing his journey south.