Dear Red-tailed Hawk

Dear Mr or Mrs Red-tailed Hawk,

I know you're tired and have just raised a couple of hungry chicks - that's a huge effort that I appreciate. I do however want to ask you what you fed them. They must have been driving you crazy at all hours of the day and part of the evening with hungry bellies that needed to be filled. I heard them screaming at you when I was outside playing with my dogs or filling the bird feeders. I would have expected you and your mate to become killing machines to ensure your brood had the best possible chance at life. 

In case you were a first time parent... Young hawks need meat. Lots of it. They need the calcium in the bones of that meat to help them grow big and strong. Without that they become floppy and useless as hawks. 

I am however sad to say that I think they are doomed. I think you fed them leaves and twigs which is why they stayed hungry and kept screaming at you. If you had considered their needs, you would have taken me up on my offering of fresh squirrels and chipmunks. All day long. Every day. Instead, you chose to ignore the offerings in my garden and for that your children will never live to see their real potential. I know we agreed that you wouldn't touch the cute little bunnies but for Pete's sake, could you not have made an effort to help rid my garden of this abundance of meat?!

I hear you outside now screaming and calling at the top of your lungs.  I think you're perched in one of the trees over my driveway.  You are sitting there calling and screaming and I don't even see any of the birds or meat offerings around my bird feeders, move. They don't show a high sense of "fight or flight" and are carrying on about their business as if nothing is threatening them. That's because nothing is threatening them thanks to you!

Do your job please and stop embarrassing your species (and your kids) before I have to call up the Cooper's Hawk to finish the job. Clear the backlog of offerings on my front lawn right away.  If you can take a Grackle or two with you, I'd really appreciate that as they too have multiplied in the past couple of weeks. Just remember to leave the Cottontails alone.

Sincerely

Occupier