I have no idea where these people live where they're getting food sntached by rogue bald eagles but here in Virginia these damn red-tailed hawks are thugs. I have to throw a frisbee for my over zealous eighty pound doberman and these hawks try to swoop in to snatch her toy. Happens in the spring\early summer. She barked at one last year and it literally shat on her from the tree's. And what I find strange is these hawks are in groups when they do this. Never seen any other raptor species gang up like these hawks.
Wow, your population sounds so different from ours. We have them here (rural southern Ontario) and they're stupidly shy. I've seen them hover around our neighbour's chicken yard, but they never catch anything. And they roost up in some tall trees at the back of my property. But if I even go out my backdoor with a telephoto lens to try to get a picture from like 300ft away, they're gone as soon as they can a single noise from me.
Years ago I made friends with a red tailed hawk. He was sitting in a tree watching me while I was washing my car. On a lark I sprayed him with my hose. I figured I was being slightly obnoxious, but he actually liked it. For the rest of that summer, he'd show up occasionally when I was outside and wait for his shower. Never saw him again after that year though.
