Score one for the Cooper's Hawk

Maestro

The activity in my yard has certainly picked up with hummingbirds, all sorts of white crowned, lark and chipping sparrows, bluebirds, mourning doves, cowbirds, grackles, pine siskins, house finches, chickadees, titmice and of course with all this activity the local Cooper's hawk comes by patrolling for dinner. To this point, I had never seen it come close to getting one, but today was its day. I was trying to photograph hummers when I noticed some small bird action at my feeders. I had no sooner gone over there and crouched down when the Cooper's flew in fast and hard into a tree. The next thing I saw were feathers and the Cooper's exit from the tree. It landed on one of my house boxes. It allowed two relatively distant images before taking off with the prize, one of my white crowned sparrows. But seriously, couldn't it have taken a starling or cowbird? Ugh!

hTr

Bird Feeders for "Bird Feeders", Hawk 1 Chipping Sparrow 0

Bud1880

Maestro wrote:

But seriously, couldn't it have taken a starling or cowbird? Ugh!

Agreed. I don't see the white crowned sparrows that often. Good catch though Stephen.

dlplumer

Great catch Stephen. Poor sparrow :cry

I saw a redtailed hawk catch a small bird in the air today, but I didn't get a shot.

Dan:D

Ric Grupe

Looks like the hawk stained your wood, Stephen.

Excellent catch.

Nature's way and all that.

I had a hamburger for lunch. Sparrow is probably better.

Harryb

Looks like the hawk is a fan of your bird activity in your yard also. You can tell it was a hawk with good taste as indicated by his lunch choice.

Good captures Stephen.

NorthernFocus

Very cool. All I'm feeding these days are sunflower seed thieving squirrels. Birds have all disappeared.:cry

Every Miles A Memory

Now that is a great catch! Looks like you owe the Hawk one for letting you get the shot

raptorcaptor

You can't pick and choose who eats at your feeder! Nice looking adult bird too! Good pix Stephen!

Maestro

hTr wrote:

Bird Feeders for "Bird Feeders", Hawk 1 Chipping Sparrow 0

Thanks Gary and actually it was a white crowned sparrow. I have plenty of chipping sparrows to spare though.

Maestro

Bud1880 wrote:

Agreed. I don't see the white crowned sparrows that often. Good catch though Stephen.

Thanks Bud

Jack'll do

Excellent capture Stephen. I could use one of those to keep my tree rat population down.