Wherever small birds congregate, their predators will likely follow. And so it was two days ago, when a Cooper's Hawk swooped into my yard in pursuit of a mid-day snack (public domain image courtesy of NBII).
Alerting all to the hawk's arrival were a group of blue jays, who called out in alarm--jay-jay-jay! Since jays (and crows) are always squawking for some reason or another, I didn't first attend to their distress. Only after a few dozen finches took collective flight from a locust tree (where they wait to take turns at the feeder) did I glance skyward. Swiftly gliding into sight was a sleek accipiter or "bird hawk," so called because these hawks prey upon other birds.
To catch another bird unaware, you must be crafty and quick, and so--meet the Cooper's Hawk. These long-tailed, round-winged hawks can maneuver around and through trees without an instance of hesitation. Unlike the larger, bulkier buteos (for example, the red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks) that soar over open pastures searching for small mammals, accipiters chase their prey in and around trees. And they're good at it.
From below, I could see the hawk's creamy under wings and the reddish bars of his belly and chest. But from my angle, I couldn't see his blue-gray back. I watched as he banked, circling the locust and then heading toward a tall spruce, from which a large flock of mourning doves suddenly flushed, totally surprising me with their numbers! By then the hawk was behind the massive spruce, so whether or not he caught a dove, I cannot say.
I can say that the following day I saw the Cooper's Hawk sailing overhead. I suspect he's around more often than I know.
Till next time ... Keep birds in your heart!
Georgia Anne
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