something wicked this way comes...

windoze

was outside today feeding my little birdies when they suddenly disappeared..... way WAY off in the distance I saw two "things" land in a tree... i have no clue what they are, but maybe i am finally going to get a chance to "shoot" something bigger.....






is it a red-shouldered hawk???

troy

GREAPER

I cant tell what kind of hawk it is.

I have a hard time IDing hawks myself.

Rohirrim

You would think Hawks should be easy to ID since they are so big, but I also have a hard time ID'ing them. I believe your correct though. It looks very similar to the shots here http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-shouldered_Hawk.html

JCDoss

It could also be a Cooper's Hawk, but it's hard to tell without seeing detail in the wings or feathers. The blackish "cap" that your bird is wearing looks similar to the photo of a Cooper's hawk here: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Coopers_Hawk.html.
But that site doesn't say whether the black cap is a distinguishing feature or not.

The description of what the Cooper's hawk eats and how it handles its prey does explain why all the little passerines you were watching skedaddled. Kind of makes me want to run and hide too. :help