Surprising what you catch on camera

We have cameras mounted around our property and caught the Cooper Hawk and Screech Owl having a snack.

ID for Hawk

11/24/2023

Sad day for the Mourning Dove flock

All the birds took off, all but one dove, a hawk cruised over the yard, looking for prey, it spotted the dove, it swooped down, hitting the dove so hard that it was killed instantly, it carried the ripped-up, lifeless dove and carried it near the cucumber bed, I tried to get a picture, it then took off and I got a bad photo. The dove was the first bird to be killed at the feeder. I believe it was a female Mourning Dove.

Watching the feeders

COOPERS HAWK

Coopers Hawk getting ready to take off with a baby squirrel from our backyard ( Mission was not successful )

Cooper’s Hawk Chowing Down On a Northern Mockingbird

Cooper’s Hawk

COOPERS HAWK AFTER THE MEAL

Amazingly Beautiful Bird of Prey

Chipping Sparrows, Northern Cardinal, Cooper’s Hawk, The Peep, House Sparrow and Mourning Doves.

There are now about 30 Chipping Sparrows!

ID please!!

ID please!!

ID please!

ID please!

Loons,20 turkeys,sharp-shinned hawk or a cooper’s hawk,double-crested cormorants.

Coopers hawk

This is a Nesting coopers hawk who has a nest at John James Audubon Center

The Cooper’s Sublings

Located in a tree next to a sidewalk on a busy local street, these Cooper’s hawk chicks were well fed by their parents. Not bothered by passers by or local photographers, they grew up fast and all fledged soon after these photos were taken!

Coopers about to fledge

Adult is sort of hidden in back of 2 young Cooper’s Hawks. One young is much bigger than other. Perhaps male to female difference. Seem to be getting close to fledging.

Cooper’s Hawk getting ready to nest.

Nested in Sleepy Hollow in 2016 so expecting to do so again. Different tree nest than that year, however.

Coopers Hawks love our yard!

This year has been a whirlwind of activity for our family of Coopers Hawks. At first we thought we had 2 fledglings and their parents, but have since realized that there are 5 total. We are surrounded by woods, and these amusing birds have been seen darting in and out of the grass and bushes, sitting in a puddle, hanging out on low branches, sitting and walking and even resting on our back deck railings and swing set and are seen working on their flying techniques. Parents have been keeping an ever watchful eye on the youngsters and have been teaching them how to hunt as well. They must be very comfortable here as we have been able to walk slowly past them while they are sitting in the puddle aka their “hot tub”!

Back yard predator

I like to sit an watch the birds at the back yard feeder. However, occasionally we are visited by this hawk looking for an easy meal which is usually one of the overly plump morning doves that show up for the same reason.

What’s for dinner?

During the winter, a Cooper’s Hawk always comes to my backyard to hang out in the Crabapple tree and scare my birds away. Sometimes, it gets dinner. This particular time, I was able to sneak up on it and get some good although graphic photos of him tearing apart a Dark Eyed Junco. When it was done, it flew onto the fence and turned it’s head completely around!

Hawk Visitor

Is this a Coopers or Red tail Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology