Hi All,
My first post -
We have three trash covered cans along the side of the house on the back patio. I feed our backyard squirrels on one of the lids. About 4' away is a small love seat type bench with a canvas cover on it. When I took a quick work break around 10a, I was surprised to see a roughly 14" tall red-tailed hawk perched on the bench cover, 4 1/2' away from Stan, our female gray squirrel who adopted us about 18 months ago. Stan was on the lid eating an almond, staring at the hawk. I waved the hawk away, and immediately changed where Stan & friends get their nuts to an area surrounded by trees.
My question is, since Stan & friends and the hawk weigh roughly the same, were the squirrels in no danger? Are squirrels (or any prey) safe as long as they are facing (able to fight back) to a hawk?
I was also surprised by how freely the squirrels kept coming around, and that there was no 'chatter'.
Anyway, just learning . . . Thanks for any feedback