[pooh]

I realize that The Villages is a wonderful place for us to live and even a wonderful place for many creatures and birds, but it was just a wild kingdom moment in my yard.
As I was sitting watching the news, I viewed a rabbit running at top speed through my back yard. I have a rather large yard and it backs to the cart path on Morse. I've seen rabbits in my yard many times and this week, I've seen either this bunny or other bunnies, just wandering through the yard. Then, the rabbit went running the other way, again at top speed. I watched and then it ran through again, extremely quickly and there was the reason he was running....a very large hawk chasing a potential meal. I decided this hawk could go hunting somewhere else and ran into the back yard hoping that bunny wasn't already being prepped for dinner. There was the hawk, sitting very regally , on the fence, waiting patiently for dinner to try an escape. He was beautiful by the way. Clapping my hands and telling the bird he'd have to find something else to eat got him to fly off. As I walked back to my lanai, one very quick rabbit emerged from underneath the bushes, heading to who knows where. This rabbit made the Roadrunner look slow!

I know that nature isn't always pretty, but I've enjoyed the wildlife creatures that have showed up in my yard. Be on the lookout, there's one ticked off, hungry hawk cruising around the Village of Caroline.

[duffysmom]

Pooh, we've had a very large hawk hunt rabbits and slow moving mourning doves in our yard. Although he is magnificent he is a deadly hunter. The mocking birds go crazy when he's on the hunt. Their screeching alerts me that he is nearby and they chase him when he takes flight. It's so funny to see a flock of tiny birds chasing a large hawk and pecking him as he flies. I'm careful with my little Duffy since he could be taken if he desired to have a skinny maltese for lunch. I'm loving living in paradise.

[pooh]

I have no doubt he is an excellent hunter.

One day my mother in law had her cockateils' cage by the kitchen window in Sabal Chase. Suddenly, both birds started screeching and fluttering around their cage. Seems a hawk had spotted the birds in the cage and was sitting outside just watching them. Poor birds, they were minus a few feathers before Mom realized what was bothering them.

Please do watch your sweet Duffy, this particular bird was pretty buff as far as hawks go... Nice to have a mocking bird alarm system!!

I enjoy living here, too, it's great!

[K9-Lovers]

Off the subject . . . I like your new photo, Pooh!

[pooh]

Why thank you, K9.

[bkcunningham1]

Originally Posted by K9-Lovers

Off the subject . . . I like your new photo, Pooh!

You have a new photo? Looks the same to me. Beautiful.

Everybody needs a meal. If you saw the hawk feeding its babies with the already dead rabbit it might not bother you as much. I love watching nature in action.

[pooh]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

You have a new photo? Looks the same to me. Beautiful.

LOL...thank you, but if you had seen me yelling at that hawk... he was magnificent, but he wasn't going to go food shopping in my yard... Heck, my lanai is home to so many anoles I'm going to start naming the beasties! No wonder they're there.....out of reach of canivorous birdies.

[Pturner]

Hi Pooh,
I do love critters too! Maybe one day you'll invite me to your lanai for a watch! Been meaning to tell ya, I love your new photo too!

Love,
P

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Julie

Everybody needs a meal. If you saw the hawk feeding its babies with the already dead rabbit it might not bother you as much. I love watching nature in action.

I like nature, too, however, I've enjoyed those bunnies and wanted them to continue hanging around in my yard. I've also seen hawks carrying off fish from the lake. It was amazing! My yard has had tree ducks, sandhill cranes, cattle egrets, rabbits, snakes, anoles and even a feral cat wandering through. Have enjoyed each and every one of them. I know these guys have to eat, but I just don't want my yard to be a supermarket with potentially parts left behind I know it's a bit selfish, but every once in a while, you enjoy a Walt Disney type of scene ....

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Pturner

Hi Pooh,
I do love critters too! Maybe one day you'll invite me to your lanai for a watch! Been meaning to tell ya, I love your new photo too!

Love,
P

Thank you about the picture. Consider yourself invited! For sure the anoles will be around, the other guys, well, one never knows when they'll show up. When our dog was still with us, she always needed to go out for a potty trip around 2 in the morning. Sydney was quite old and she was good about getting outside to do her business. One morning, one very COLD morning she was outside, sniffing around the yard for the perfect blade of grass to water when I noticed something coming at me in the dark! Holy moley, what could it be??? A rabbit! Scared the living daylights out of me, I wasn't expecting movement in the yard at 2 in the morning! The rabbits have been around all the years we've lived here, I've become quite attached to them. All I had in my yard in CA were skunks, possums and one very industrious gopher!

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by pooh

All I had in my yard in CA were skunks, possums and one very industrious gopher!

We have a creek on our property outside Atl. For years and years, we had a very industrious beaver. He built dams, the county would come and destroy the dams and he would rebuild them the next day. The county could not outFOX our beaver. He also built cool water slides. We were very sad when he was killed on the road a couple of years ago.

We also have fox, rabbits, chipmunks, deer, snakes and lots of birds, including humingbirds, a huge hawk, hundreds of robin in the spring and a bluebird. I love to sit on my deck and listen to the various calls of the birds.

When we become TV Frogs, we'll sure miss our current collection of wildlife.

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Pturner

We have a creek on our property outside Atl. For years and years, we had a very industrious beaver. He built dams, the county would come and destroy the dams and he would rebuild them the next day. The county could not outFOX our beaver. He also built cool water slides. We were very sad when he was killed on the road a couple of years ago.

We also have fox, rabbits, chipmunks, deer, snakes and lots of birds, including humingbirds, a huge hawk, hundreds of robin in the spring and a bluebird. I love to sit on my deck and listen to the various calls of the birds.

When we become TV Frogs, we'll sure miss our current collection of wildlife.

You do have nature close to you, without a doubt! I'm sorry about the beaver....they are quite the builders, that's for sure. I can understand why you'll miss all these beasties, they are indeed fun to watch.

When you visit, I'll tell you about the flock of sparrows in our west coast yard....

Love,
Pat

[jebartle]

That same hawk was looking for dinner in our yard also.

[Talk Host]

Are you ready for this. A couple of years ago, I was sitting on our lanai and saw a hawk crash land just outside of the screen. When he took off, he had in his talons a snake so big that the bird could almost not fly off the ground. He finally got up in the air and it looked like he was carrying a bicycle tire. That bicycle tire had been lurking about 15 feet away from me before the hawk got it.