bald eagle

Bald Eagles Haliaeetus leucocephalus

nest near the pond. 
Near enough for the adult Eagles to
 glide over the wetland

 in search of meals for their brood.
  

We cannot see into the nest, high in

 a tree, but before the leaves unfurl we can see little fuzzy nestlings when they lean up to beg for food.

fallen leaves

Maple, elm, mulberry, swamp oak, birch, and willow leaves create a palette of October color.  It helps the finches and doves appear less visible as they feed. The hawks circle overhead.

alarm calls in the woods

The raptor Coopers Hawk came to the water bowl for a drink, then dropped his tail feathers into the cold water while looking around for dinner. 

All the songbirds freeze in place and get very quiet when a raptor appears.  They don't want to be seen or heard, for fear of becoming a raptor's meal.

Read a fascinating article about alarm calls that birds make to alert others of a raptor hunting in the area . . .
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/look-out-the-backyard-bird-alarm-call-network/

a murder of crows

This hawk was gliding over the feeder garden looking for breakfast.  The American Crows, who had been snatching peanuts from the tray feeder, gave chase.  The hawk landed on a nearby roof.  The crows dive-bombed in an effort to scare the hawk away.  The hawk calmly waited, squawked a few times, then lifted off towards the river for a better chance at hunting.

hawk hunting

Today we spotted the Sharp-shinned Hawk at the feeder garden, probably hunting.

The raptor perched for a while on top of one feeder pole, then on the garden fence, then on the water bowl.  It turned its head side to side, up and down, looking for any prey possibilities.  Finding none, the hawk flew away to try another spot.

roosting hawk

Dusk, yesterday.  A hawk glided in over the bird feeders and landed on a branch of the big elm tree. A perfect place to peer down into the wild wild woods, scanning for mice.  Then the big bird turned around, looking down on the several seed feeders and suet cakes.  But it was nearly dark -- even the late-feeding Northern Cardinals were finished.  The hawk scanned a bit this way and that, then fluffed feathers and settled down to cover feet with feathers.  Turning its head a few more times, it tucked its beak into a shoulder to roost for the night.

I looked out a few times through the evening.  The hawk stayed on the roost.  Moonlight made its breast glow among the tangle of twigs.  Wondered, as I fell asleep, how long the hawk would stay.

At dawn, I peeked out.  The hawk was still cozy, not moving.  Two gray squirrels scampered up and down on branches near the hawk.  Chattering together, they scolded the hawk for being in their tree.  The hawk squawked and revealed its claws.  The argument went on for seven minutes.  The hawk flew away to find breakfast in a neighborhood NOT guarded by squirrels who protect the songbirds that share seed, suet, and peanuts with them.

hawk watch

The Cooper's Hawk we often see in the wild wild woods was back again today.  First, we saw it sitting for several minutes in the sun on a branch of the maple tree.  With yellow feet tucked under feathers, it tried to fluff the down underlayer and stay warm on this 10F cold day.  After a failed attempt to catch a Junco in the understory, the hawk sat for a minute in the willow tree, then wandered off to another location.

nit-picker hawk

This Sharp-shinned Hawk appeared again near the edge of the wild woods.  He perched for a while on the top of the feeder poles, grooming feathers and stretching a bit.  At one point he dropped a leg and let it hang, relaxed, as he picked nits around his neckline.

post-lunch nap 2

Another day, another hawk.  One of the dangers for songbirds at feeder stations is the hawk that knows it is a good spot to prey on smaller birds.  While I am sorry to see the little birds threatened, the hawks are also interesting to watch.  This Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii appeared around noon, sitting in a tree crotch exposed to the sun.  For nearly an hour, he stayed there even though the Chickadees and Finches scolded him continuously.  We watched several smaller birds go back and forth between the feeders and branches just six feet from the hawk.  Surely they knew he was there.  And surely he was not hungry, or there would have been a different scenario.

post-lunch nap

Mid-afternoon.  We noticed the Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus sitting in the sun on a branch at the edge of the wild woods.  Usually when we see this bird, he is hunting, scanning for prey, and on the move.  Today he sat for almost one hour, sunning himself, eyelids occasionally drooping.  We wondered -- why so languid?  Then we noticed the subtle splotches of red blood on his bib.  No need to hunt with a full belly and warm sunshine.

Hawks

This big gray hawk is probably an adult Coopers Accipiter cooperii.  He was very inquisitive, searching around in the adjacent back yards as well as in the exposed areas of the woods.  As a predator of smaller birds, he was not shy about being here, in the open and even perched for a while on a neighboring deck railing.

                 

                                    

The smaller hawk on the log pile is probably a Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus.  He was also looking for smaller birds, but not as bold as the Coopers.



hunting hawk

The edge of the woods is home for mice and voles, so this hawk may find good hunting among the grasses and the brush pile.

sharp shinned hawk on the brush pile

The usual birds at the edge of the woods were suddenly scarce when this hawk swooped in to survey his hunting possibilities.