A Little Visitor

[Rob Wachala Jr]

Right outside my window I have a nice sized bush that the sparrows tend to fly into and hang out. My computer is right next to the window and it's normal for me to be working and hear them sing or bicker back and forth.

I'm sitting here yesterday and suddenly there is a lot of activity but a much more distressful sound than usual. Then I hear the bush being shaken around. I thought one of the neighborhood kids was being an idiot or a squirrel was causing issues so I quickly open my blinds to see what is going on. I can see something in the bush but can't make it out. The bush shakes violently and then a flash of something goes to my fence. I grab the camera and run to the back door and see this guy sitting on the fence. These shots were taken through the window so they are not the best but I knew if I opened the door he would of been gone.

hawk1.jpg

hawk2.jpg

Needless to say the sparrows have not been hanging out today

[John alder]

A baby red tail hawk ? ,if so they get bigger.

[Dan Hintz]

Man, I'd release a few live mice just to make sure he stays around... what a beaut!

[Glenn Vaughn]

Some people have all the luck. All we get is Turkey Vultures. We have close to 200 that roost in the trees behind our property (we are in town). They have been roosting there for years. The arrive around March 18th and leave mid September. The femals nest in the mountains we get the males here.

[David G Baker]

Feed the birds and the birds will feed the hawk so it will stay around. We have a lot of doves that hang around our bird feeders. Several times a week we see dove feathers scattered around the lawn.

[Mike Cruz]

Great shots. Is it a Red Tailed or Red Shouldered hawk? I think the latter are more common around here.

[G. Brad Schmidt]

Not a Red-tailed,
but a juvenile female Cooper's Hawk.

The Coops around here are gang busters on the local Starling populations.

[Joe Chritz]

It is indeed a coopers hawk. They went ape on all my chickens this year too. Had a nest and once they started teaching the young to hunt it was all over.

Someone here mentioned the birds should be moved into a covered area but......

They are pretty common around here and very cool. Unless you are a chicken.

Joe

Not a Red-tailed,
but a juvenile female Cooper's Hawk.

The Coops around here are gang busters on the local Starling populations.

[Rob Wachala Jr]

Ahh nice I was wondering what type of hawk it was. There is a forest preserve not to far from my house that I'm guessing they must be coming from. I've lived here most of my life though and this is the first time I've ever seen a hawk in this area. This summer I've seen this one flying above the area maybe once a week.