steve49
295 posts
Oct 04, 2009
3:43 PM
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i'm trying to figure out if there is a best time of day to fly the birds during hawk migrations. if everyone would respond with the time of day that they've observed a bop launching an attack, and what part of the world you live i think it will help flyers. if enough people respond, this could be a valuable tool, as people may not realize that the odds of an attack may be greater at one time or another. i had a cooper swoop in around 12PM and chase my birds. i'm sure they attack at all times of day, but there may be a pattern, and it can't hurt.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
1463 posts
Oct 04, 2009
4:21 PM
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Hey Steve, around here it's from dawn to dusk. I think the later it gets in the afternoon the better chance the B.O.P. will score and then leave your birds alone. If you wait to long then you risk an over fly if an attack does occur.
Best of luck!
Thom
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jnyce
814 posts
Oct 04, 2009
4:37 PM
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all times a day around here it's safe to say im going to have to shut down
i haven't lost a bird yet probably because the cooper is a young
jerry t,
Last Edited by on Oct 04, 2009 4:40 PM
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steve49
296 posts
Oct 04, 2009
7:12 PM
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no bop is going to get inside my kitboxes, as they're closed up when the birds are inside. once they're in, i swing up the landing board, and they're safe. i was more interested in finding out if there was any pattern at all, something we could use to gauge when it might be safer to fly our birds. i'm sure the more you fly, the more you experience the whole gauntlet of attacks, but it still is worth investigating. the problem is, immature bop which probably lead the way at the beginning of migration are not as good hunters, whereas older, more experienced hunters might have a higher percentage of successful strikes. it sucks no matter which way you look at it. outfit your birds with an exploding dye like the banks use when a robber makes off with cash. press a button and 'poof', the bop is stunned by a smoke cloud. of course, this is all fiction, unless someone has a lot of money to make such a thing! ;-)
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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cv rollers
483 posts
Oct 04, 2009
9:45 PM
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steve ,i live in Indio,CALF.in the PM is the worst time to fly,AM seams to work better for me,i have been flying twice a day and every PM they get chased,got one yesterday but it must have got away because it came back today we call him lucky now lol
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Rick Flores
coachellavalleyrollers.net
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Joe Valdivia
12 posts
Oct 04, 2009
11:29 PM
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i live in moorpark,CA and have always had better luck in the evening. I think it's better to wait until later on in the day because its more likely that the bop has already found something else to eat by the time you fly. but then again they do seem to be creatures of habit and will adjust their feeding schedule to your fly schedule if they catch on.
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turkey buzzard
140 posts
Oct 06, 2009
5:30 AM
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I've even got friends who fly there birds late in the day. They place lights around the kit boxes for the birds to land in the dark. Guess what happens next, your right owls started taking birds while they were flying or on top of the kit boxes. So the best time, is never fly them when the BOPs are around!!!!!
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RodSD
350 posts
Oct 07, 2009
2:01 AM
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I got the worse time late afternoon. I have a resident hawk that uses my neighbor's tree as roosting spot. I am in California. I get attack between 3 pm to sunset.
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Pumpkin Man
172 posts
Oct 13, 2009
6:26 AM
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Steve,
This summer I was flying at sunrise every day and it worked for me, now I'm switching to mid to late afternoon flying. My theory is as the temp drops hawks are waking up hungrier now so they are coming off the roost earlier to hunt in my area and I can't get my birds back in before they find them, so I'm hoping they have already found a meal by mid to late afternoon. I see them hunting again in the evening so I'm trying to hit the in-between times. There is nothing fullproof though. It's getting close to lockdown time anyway though. I may have another couple weeks of flying left.
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DeepSpinLofts
1577 posts
Oct 13, 2009
11:42 AM
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Steve...
I flew 2 kits yesterday and noticed about 10 minutes after locking both kits down.... there was a Coopers Hawk in my neighbors tree staring at my lofts.
This was around 8:45 a.m. (PST) out here in Solano County (Northern California).
During migration, I've observed BOP to stay around my area for a week or two if there is enough food to sustain them. I simply lock the birds down for a few days and this trick seems to work just fine for me.
....well anyway
The Cooper has went on about its business (flew away).
There's a nasty storm outside and parts of California is bracing for flash floods & mud slides. I'm drinking green tea (natural source of anti-oxidants) to replenish cells as I weather the storm.
Marcus
Deep Spin Lofts
Last Edited by on Oct 13, 2009 11:43 AM
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DeepSpinLofts
1578 posts
Oct 13, 2009
8:27 PM
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Hi JDA....
A friend came down from Seattle to visit a few days ago and we chugged down a pint of Courvesier Cognoc and puffed on Primetime Cigars.
Jack Daniels is something I haven't drank in a while. Cognoc has a much smoother taste than whiskey and it helps me to relax when under a tremendous amount of stress.
Marcus
Deep Spin Lofts
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steve49
304 posts
Oct 14, 2009
6:44 PM
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i'm sure glad this topic is still generating interest. during the week i have no choice but to fly in the afternoon, around 3pm. since i live near the bay, i see osprey's more often than coopers right now. my birds don't react to the ospreys, but do get up and behind any soaring hawks, like redtails. twice last week an immature peregrine flew over, about 200 ft, but it didn't seem to be hunting as it ignored my birds. for today. i had serious doubts if this subject was valid, but if enough contribute, we might start to see a pattern. research is only good if you have enough data for comparison.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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DeepSpinLofts
1579 posts
Oct 15, 2009
1:19 PM
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Steve... I've heard that the Osprey's diet consists mainly of fish.
QUESTION: Do you know of any Osprey attacks on birds in New York?
Marcus
Deep Spin Lofts
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steve49
306 posts
Oct 15, 2009
5:35 PM
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Marcus, you're correct about the osprey's diet being fish. they've never bothered my birds, and i see them often, as there are two nests within two miles of me. and i don't know of any osprey attacks on birds in NY or anywhere.
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Steve in Blue Point, NY
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DeepSpinLofts
1580 posts
Oct 15, 2009
7:00 PM
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That's what I thought Steve.
It's the Coopers, Peregrines and woodland Accipters (BOP with excellent sight) which dash from a concealed perch that cause the most trouble for roller fanciers.
Marcus
Deep Spin Lofts
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cr250
283 posts
Oct 16, 2009
12:36 AM
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You never know when its going to happen and it seems to be your best bird everytime.
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RodSD
361 posts
Oct 17, 2009
11:14 PM
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I agree that your best birds get taken. These BOPs know how to hurt you real bad! My tamest birds also got taken the most.
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JEFF WILSON
35 posts
Oct 20, 2009
5:41 PM
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the time birds of prey try to catch my birds are .from the time i open the door till they trap back in.
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