Video: a new visitor
It is always funny to me how seemingly stunned hawks look to find nobody at the scene yet hearing all the scolding from the trees. At first I thought this young Cooper’s Hawk would take a bath, but nope. It has been very dry here, so maybe it will come back for more. Such a beautiful bird. (I know the lens is dirty, there are birds bathing all day and I go out to clean it with vinegar constantly.)
Video: Shake your tail feather!
It's Friday, and even the birds are ready to shake their tail feather 😁 The Cooper's Hawk was back again today, checking out the bird bath to see if there's a catch to have. He has come twice yesterday, and at some point, the birds actually came back to eat and he just sat there, waiting for his chance. Once he got going, everybody successfully escaped. His plumage marks him as an immature, so maybe he just needs more practice. Such a pretty bird! Come good into the weekend.
Whose pantaloons might these be?
This was a first - a Sharp-shinned Hawk! I do have the occasional hawks swooping in, but usually it’s the larger but similar looking Coopers Hawk. There are several ways to keep them apart but two ID features are “pencil thin legs” and the size. All the other Hawks I have seen in my yard had more sturdy legs and were larger, raptor large. This guy is so much more compact! I am also adding a Blue Jay, for comparison. I don’t think there were any casualties. This morning, while still laying in bed in the dark, I could also hear an owl hooting. Raptors are so neat.
Slomo video: An unsuccessful hunter
This morning, a Cooper’s Hawk tried his luck in the yard. He got a MoDo’s feathers but was not successful, as the video revealed when I slowed it down. These guys are so fast, it is amazing to watch them.
