Hiding From the Hawk

We have a happy flock of hens and roosters in which there is great diversity.  The predominant breed is Barred Rock, but we also have Rhode Island Reds, Black Stars, and Aracaunas.  In the morning, Tricia throws them a bucket of rough rice, milled rice and laying pellets and the happily scratch and peck until they've eaten it all.  Then the hens lay eggs for the rest of the morning.  Finally, they roam on three acres for the rest of the day, broadcasting their "fertilizer" all over the pasture.

Yesterday I was home during lunch.  It was a cool day, with blue skies overhead and a crisp north breeze blowing.  Tricia and I sat in the St. Augustine grass in the backyard and had a picnic.  We were enjoying watching the cows and goats grazing and the chickens pecking around at bugs in the grass. All of a sudden, something caught our eye.  A large red-tail hawk coasted in on the breeze with his eye on the pasture.  Tricia told me that it looked like he was dropping.  I began clapping to startle him as I didn't want him to grab himself a chicken dinner.  He soared off.   By this time, though, the chickens had seen the bird of prey and they skedaddled.

A little later I walked out by the barn and saw this:

The chickens had all run for cover.  There was lots of nervous clucking.  No doubt they were discussing their close call.  In the past they've seen some of their fine feathered friends get devoured by hawks and they have wised up.  When they see a hawk, an alarm goes off and they all run into the goat barn for safety or at least get around it under the trees.

This time there were no casualties.  Hopefully in the future, they'll continue to keep a watchful eye so as not to become a meal for the hawk.