Cooper's Hawk

This morning as we were supposed to be leaving for breakfast, a loud, "kir-kir-kir" bird call caught my attention.  As soon as I saw there was a good-sized bird in the tree across the street I ran for my camera.

It was a Cooper's Hawk.  I'm pretty sure.  They can be difficult to distinguish from Sharp-shinned Hawks.  I think this is a Cooper's because it was so big - so big, in fact, I'm guessing it's a female.  This one was calling up a storm, and Coopers and Sharp-shins sound fairly different, but it's been eight hours since I heard it this morning and now when I listen to both calls on iBird or Cornell's site, I am doubting myself.  Still, I feel pretty good calling this one a Cooper's.

I think it got a little spooked when it saw me and heard my camera, as it quickly flew off toward Volk where all the Red-tails live.  I saw it through the trees start to land on a branch where a Red-tail was perched, and it immediately reversed course and headed over to the power lines.  We got in the car to go to breakfast and I had Wendy snap a few pictures as we drove under it on the way.

We were right under it for quite a while (Maxine was complaining that I was taking too long).  I've seen Cooper's Hawks swoop through the yard one or twice, making a grab for the finches on the feeder.  And it was a juvenile Cooper that flew into our old house and tried to get to our parrot, Isabella.  Awfully pretty bird, though, and well worth being late to breakfast for.

Cooper's Hawk, June 6, 2010, about 8:00 a.m. (okay, so it was about 8:10 a.m.), right across the street and on Mezzanine.  Identified with help from Cornell's website and iBird.  Shot with the Nikon.