Seven persons have been “dive-bombed”—one twice—by a nesting pair of hawks over the past few weeks on a placid residential block in Rockdale.
But Milam County Game Warden Derek Rennspies says the birds, who have become something of local social media celebrities, are federally protected and worries their notoriety is bringing more people into contact with them.
“In just a couple more weeks this situation will have resolved itself,” he told The Reporter. “The eggs have hatched and all the birds will leave.”
It’s been a double-edged situation for residents of the 1700 block of Sager Drive near the northern city limits.
“On the one hand, it’s been a fascinating nature experience to watch the birds and see the eggs hatch and the little heads appear in the nest,” said Rick Henderson, the hawks’ “landlord.”
“On the other hand, it’s kind of frustrating to go to your own mailbox and have to watch out for an attack from the sky,” he said.
DIVE BOMB—He’s not kidding.
Cathy Henderson, Rick’s wife, was the first person to get “dive bombed” by a hawk and, to date, is the only person to be hit twice.
“She walked out one day and—whack—she was hit in the back of the head,” Henderson said. “It didn’t take her off her feet but it was pretty hard. She compared it to being hit by one of those whiffle (plastic) bats.”
The Hendersons thought immediately of a family next door with two small children. “The first thing we did was warn them,” Rick said.
In subsequent weeks the hawks—there’s a male and a female tending to the nest—have targeted several more “victims.”
All but one were passers-by. The lightly-traveled street, just over a block from the northwest city limits, is a favorite for walkers.
As of the weekend, seven persons had been the target of eight attacks.
“That’s all we know of,” Rick Henderson said. “And every one has been from the rear.”
Scratches and bruises have been recorded. “They are pretty big birds,” he said.
PROTECTED—The Hendersons called the police and Game Warden Rennspies was brought in.
He became the “man in the middle” in more ways than one. Rennspies is a resident of the neighborhood.
And he had to deliver news the victims didn’t particularly want to hear.
‘“These birds are Red-Shouldered Hawks and, while they aren’t particularly rare, they are a federally-protected species,” he said.
There are penalties for killing them or for disturbing their nests.
“You can apply for a permit to remove the nest, but those are pretty hard to get, and take a long time to be approved,” he said.
Rennspies plans to do exactly that, which will see the nest removed after the hawks have departed.
“If it isn’t removed they will probably be back in the same location next year,” he said.
STAY AWAY—What the game warden is hoping to accomplish now is to minimize future hawk-human encounters until “departure day.”
And social media is not helping.
“I know since this got all over Facebook traffic down Sager has increased,” Rennspies said. “People want to see the hawks. But that’s the worst thing. People need to stay away.”
“I know the residents can’t do that, but if people who walk down that block could please change their route, use a different block until this is over,” he added.
“And everybody needs to know they are to stay away from that nest!” Rennspies said.
GAME WARDEN— Rennspies has been Milam County Game Warden since August, so he has been here through dove season and deer season.
He is a native of Marion, near Seguin and a graduate of Marion High School.
Rennspies graduated from Angelo State University and went to attend Game Warden Academy.
Milam County is his first posting.
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