Yard Critter of the Week - Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

When you've got as many birds visiting feeders as we do it's no surprise that we go one step up the food chain with avian predators appearing as well.

It is amazing how the prey know of a hawk's arrival. They scatter towards the bushes. Or they freeze in place. With apparently any movement giving them away, it is a deadly game of hide and seek played out in plain sight.

And it's a signal that the game is afoot and to commence a tree search.

While the hawks often perch in the open like this, there is rarely a clear line of sight to get any images.

And even then, they don't stay long. One needs a bit of luck.

🦅  🦅  🦅  🦅  🦅

Often, as was the case one morning, we see only the birds scattering and maybe the flash of a hawk as it whizzes by. But that morning we saw, for our home office windows, the bird racing back and forth across the yard. Only losing sight when it headed toward the front of the house.

Later, we found evidence of its handy (talon-y?) work on the steps outside the living room.

The partial remains of what we believe was a Tufted Titmouse, one of the most common birds at our feeders.

🦅  🦅  🦅  🦅  🦅

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.