Visit from a Cooper's Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk in a Hawthorn Tree

When I walked out to get the mail a few weeks ago, a Cooper’s Hawk flew over the house, then low over my head. He landed in a Hawthorn sapling in the front yard.

I froze and watched him. He sat and looked around for a few seconds, roused, and flew off.

Cooper’s Hawk flies away

Cooper’s Hawk flies away. I like the way this picture emphasizes how thick the air must seem to them.

As he flew away, he made a half-hearted pass at the chickens, who were safe behind the mesh of their pens. They didn’t take him very seriously, so I’m guessing this hazing has happened before.  It had the feeling of him telling a joke to the chickens that only he still finds to be funny, one that they had perhaps heard too many times.

Then the Coops flew into the Russian Olive tree, terrifying a squirrel. The Coops made a brief pause in the Russian Olive to glare at the world, then was off to the dense leaves at the top of the neighbor’s elm tree, and out of sight.

I believe, but don’t know, that this is the same male Coops that we keep seeing. I think he’s part of a resident pair. I’d love to see where they are nesting. I imagine it’s on the neighbor’s land to the north of us.