Cooper's Hawk

A couple of years ago we replaced our old single pane/storm window combination with new double pane insulated windows.  It’s really nice to be able to see out the windows without rubbing a hole through the condensation or peering through a layer of shrink wrap window covering.  I was sitting at the breakfast table when I saw a Cooper’s Hawk streak past the window.  By the time I got out of the chair and had the hawk in view, it had finished off a Northern Flicker.

It didn’t waste any time getting down to feeding.  While it ate, I was hurriedly trying to find the best window from which to get a shot.  Our new windows are great for viewing through the naked eye, but they’re bad about camera distortion.  I knew better than to try to sneak open a window with the hawk so close to the house.

Normal yard bird activity resumed soon after the kill.  The hawk spent more time watching the surrounding activity and less feeding.

Then a Crow came in and landed in the tree to the hawk’s right. 

 

Two more Crows came in to the left of the hawk.  This was more pressure than the hawk could stand and in the second it takes for the camera to reset after a shot, the hawk lifted its kill into the air and took off.  It’s not uncommon to find a Cooper’s Hawk nest in one of the tall cedars across the field from the yard.  If I’m lucky, I’ll find one this year.