Yesterday I came home from work and first thing is to let my buddy out. While I'm hooking him up to his 40' lead (sorry, can't afford a fence), I notice a shadow come over my house. I look up and see a hawk. Now, I know they are around because I have seen them before, but never so close to my backyard. I'm thinking "perhaps I should stay out here and see what this bird is doing". Can they pick up a basenji? Would they even think of it? I don't know, but as it kept coming back around I thought it best to keep an eye on it.
Now here the strange thing, as I'm watching this hawk, 3 crows come flying from the same direction as the hawk had come and start literally dive-bombing it. I couldn't believe it! As I watched, these crows just kept diving at this hawk, taking turns. It was quite the sight! Eventually, they moved out of my sightline but the hawk was still being attaked by the crows as they did.
This may be something familiar to some of you, but for me it was a first. The only thing I can think of that may have caused this was that the hawk was a little too close to a nest of crows….but don't most birds do their breeding in the spring, so what is there to protect?
Just thought I'd share, but if anyone has any thoughts or incites as to this behaviour, I would be interested to hear about it.
Have a great day!
I understand not affording a fence, we didn't have one for a couple of years. But please, stay out with your dog! Always. With a lead unless it is chain, he can chew it and be gone. Even with a chain, other animals can get to him and attack him. No one can blame you for not having a fence, but having a dog with no fence requires more work.
As for hawks, generally they can lift only 1/3 to 1/2 their weight. In the USA the largest hawks (Ferruginous) weigh less than 6 pounds, so nope, your dog is safe from them carrying off.
The action of the crows is common to what we see around here in the Lower Mainland of BC, but I am sure it happens most everywhere. Smaller birds will 'take on' those that are larger in order to protect their nest or general area. Also, when my husband was still working, seagulls used to dive bomb him while he worked on skyrise rooftops. Both of us have also been dive bombed by swallows. And we have eagles here year round and we see smaller birds dive bombing them all the time. I bet it was quite a shock to you though. Isn't nature incredible? 
Yes, Kipawa, nature is an amazing thing! I see/hear the crows around my house all the time, the hawks are usually about 1/4 mile south, perhaps this one had just gotten a bit out of its territory. Still, it was something to see. can't imagine working on a highrise and being dive bombed by birds of any sort :). I think perhaps it would have happened once, and if I didn't fall to my death, I'd be looking for a new job.
We see it often with crows (and seagulls) they just protect their area.
I was once attacked by 3 seagulls because we had to moor to a pole were they build their nest :S
I didn't like it
