WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – A Winter Springs woman says her neighborhood is being terrorized by hawks during the birds nesting season.
Gina Burke was first attacked about three weeks ago. She suffered several scratches on her head and has been hit twice more by the hawks, but not as severely.
"For most people, just getting out the door every morning can be pretty hectic, but imagine doing so while wearing this," Burke says about her bicycle helmet. "You can't hear it fly, you don't hear a thing, all you know is you're being hit."
Burke said the hawks came from behind and hit her so hard, she thought someone had hit her with a baseball bat. The pain came from the hawks' talons digging into her scalp. After being checked out by paramedics, Burke spotted a large nest above her home. "I got attacked one foot, one foot outside the garage," Burke said.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said it's a family of red-shouldered hawks, a bird known to be very protective during nesting season. The birds are a protected species and nest removal requires a special permit, but with the nest in a difficult location, the hawks are here to stay - at least until their young can move on, which should be in the next three to four weeks.
"The birds are protected and you can't do anything, but at some point I'm wondering: Who's going to protect me?" Burke said. "This neighborhood is infested. There's never a day that I don't see five to 10 hawks."