DEAR JOAN: While sitting at my island kitchen counter reading the Mercury News one afternoon recently, I was startled by a racket at my large kitchen window less than 6 feet in front of me.
A very large bird was hovering at the window, ferociously banging at it with its beak and claws. I was sure it would break through the window. I jumped up and down, waving my arms and screaming at it. After about 10 seconds — count that out, it can seem like an eternity — it flew away.
After consulting my “Local Birds of the San Francisco Bay Area” quick guide, I think it was a red-tailed hawk.
Why did the hawk do this? I was thawing an unwrapped steak on the counter in front of that window, probably spotted by the hawk while perched in one of the very tall trees some distance from my house.
I will always wonder if the hawk could have broken through the glass, and hope I remember to thaw meat elsewhere in my kitchen. Yes, I know I should have done so in the refrigerator, but I was in a hurry.
JoAnne Robertson, Los Altos
DEAR JOANNE: You’ll be happy to know, perhaps, that the only thing you were risking by having meat thawing on the counter is your health.
Unless the meat was still on the cow and moving around, it’s doubtful that even a hawk’s keen vision could have seen the meat just lying on the counter. Although red-tailed hawks will take advantage of grabbing a meal of carrion — dead meat — they much prefer to hunt live prey.
So if it wasn’t after your hunk of beef, what was it doing at your window? It’s likely that it was chasing a smaller bird and the reflection in the window confused it. Hawks can get super focused on chasing prey and not realize the trees and sky that they’re seeing are just a reflection on the glass.
Thankfully, it didn’t hit the window at full speed, which might have broken the window and definitely could have injured the bird.
If this is the only encounter you’ve had with a bird flying into the window, then you probably don’t have a problem. If you’ve had smaller birds hitting the glass, then your window might be too reflective at certain times of the year. For the birds’ safety and yours, you could put some decals on the window to warn them.
DEAR JOAN: My puppy is paper trained in the house, but how do I make the change of getting her to go outside?
Vera Lewis, Las Vegas
DEAR VERA: Start by setting up a schedule, based on what times you’ve noticed her using the puppy pads.
For example, if she pees on the pads at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., a little before these times, ask her if she needs to go pee, take her outside and let her run around until the urge strikes. Be sure to praise her. You might need to sweeten the deal by giving her a treat as well.
Always take her outside first thing in the morning and right before bedtime. Leave the pads out until it looks like she’s got the hang of things. Be sure to pay attention to her actions, watching for signs that she needs to go out. You’ll train each other.
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Use this form to submit questions. Photos should be mailed separately to jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.
