I went back and forth on Coopers vs Sharpie with regard to my visitor, using the pointers thoughtfully provided by the Cornell Lab, Identifying Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks. I finally settled on it being an immature Sharpie, based on the yellow eye and the pale stripe above the eye. This picture, a little closer than the previous one, gives a bit more face and head detail.
I wasn’t surprised to see her (I’m assuming, based on size). For several days, there had been sudden, explosive absences at the feeders, a strong hint that a predator of some sort was in the area. The landing on the deck was a nice chance to get a closer look and for once it was outside the door instead of sitting on the other side of a window screen (good for birds and bugs, not so good for photos). I had my camera nearby and was able to snap a couple of quick pics before she flew away. My lucky day.
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Thanks, FC. I’ve been lucky with that railing.
Beautiful picture Wren.
Very nice.
Thanks, Robin, and welcome back home (to roger & cat(s) as well).
I photographed a hawk in our yard on Monday. It looks quite a bit like yours here. I still can’t identify whether it’s a Sharpie or Cooper’s. I was leaning towards a juvenile Cooper’s, but it’s so hard to be certain. Great photograph, wren.
Wren,
That’s a very good close-up. I’ve only been so lucky once. Hawks are beautiful creatures.
Mary
kathie – It’s like solving a puzzle, isn’t it? I read that “capped” description as well, and it was part of my reasoning in making the call. But the bird’s not talking …
Wren, I think you’re dead on about the sharpie. It is difficult though. Sibley says a Cooper’s has thin, dark streaks while a sharpie has course brown streaks. In all the photos and illustrations of Cooper’s I see the head seems to come up more at the back indicating that ‘capped” appearance for the future. Yours seems to have a more rounded head. Plus, the sharpie is more narrow at the hips. But, only the bird knows for sure! BTW, I added your link to my Blog roll. Glad to have you aboard!
nina – thanks – I seem to be doing well with photos of birds in earth-tone colors recently. They’re so lovely it’s a joy to capture and share the image
jochen – I thought it was a little big for a Sharpie, so you could be right. As usual, I spent time I could have used looking for field marks saying “oh,wow, look at that!” to myself.
dave – welcome! (and thanks!) the deck is a good perch, because our yard slopes down in the back and thus the deck is elevated. I’ve never seen any of the other raptors come that close to the house, but the acipiters seem comfortable with it.
cathy – I’m just back from a trip and behind in my reading, but I’ll look for your photos. I’m always second guessing myself on my Cooper/Sharp-shinned IDs, too. It comes with that territory.
mary – welcome! I like hawks by themselves and in the abstract, but I, too, can’t help rooting for the little guys when it comes to the food chain.
larry – the photo was luck, and makes up for the ones that got away.
cate – thanks – I agree, even the small hawks have a regal presence. This one knew her place in the world for sure.
She is absolutely magnificent, and what a gorgeous picture!
I have a tough time distinguishing the two especially when they’re perched except in the case when it is an adult female Coopers which are pretty big.-Nice capture!
glad to find your blog! We have a sharpie male that has hung around our yard and feeder for several years now. He’s a real party spoiler…..
Gorgeous picture. The ones I plan to post tomorrow were taken through the window and not so sharp as yours. And now I’m wondering about my ID. Dang..
Nice hawk! Last year there was a Cooper’s hawk poaching birds from the neighbor’s feeder. It’s quite a sight to look out your window and see a hawk at eye level (I’m on the 2nd flr). Your blog is great – I have been meaning to visit for awhile!
Dunno, Wren, I’d rather call it a Cooper’s. The eyebrow isn’t that obvious, the streaking on the breast isn’t extremely strong and the belly is white. Furthermore, it just “feels” too strong and bulky for a Sharpy.
But judging Accipiters from photos is tough. I haven’t seen your bird, so what do I know…
The detail on her breast feathers is lovely–little splashes of brown!
lana, I found it encouraging that the Cornell site mentioned that this ID was difficult even for experienced birders.
Very nice. I find some hawks very hard to identify–so many seem to look alike!
Hi, laura – hawks at the feeder are definitely a mixed blessing. I know they have to eat, but I don’t want to provide the buffet.
the birdstack widget is fun, but I wonder if “mallards – mourning doves – mallards – mourning doves” ad infinitum isn’t going to get boring soon.
Excellent photos!
We had a sharpie visit us a while ago (here’s my blog post). The impact on feeder traffic was amazing! I wasn’t so lucky as to get a photo though. Nice job on that!
And you’re reminded me I need to put one of those birdstack widgets on my sidebar one of these days!
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