Last evening, while puttering in front of my kitchen sink, I noticed a flurry of activity (pandemonium, actually) in my garden through my kitchen window. A Cooper’s Hawk had ambushed one of the small birds at or near my feeder and landed with it on my back fence.
The only camera gear I had quickly available was my “baby lens” (Canon 100-400) and an outdated camera (Canon 7D), so I grabbed them off my kitchen table and hoped beyond hope that when I opened my patio door (very, very slowly) it wouldn’t spook the hawk.
Miraculously, it didn’t.
The hawk had captured what I believe to be a House Sparrow? and was beginning to pluck its feathers. Here we see one of the sparrow feathers falling in front of the hawk. My neighbor’s house in the far background doesn’t make a very good backdrop but at least their lilac bush softens some of the blow.
I must say, that’s a pretty dramatic dying ‘pose’ on the part of the sparrow.
The hawk turned sideways and plucked some more feathers before flying off with the sparrow. I screwed up the takeoff shots so you won’t be seeing any of those.
I had a lot working against me for these shots and it shows. I was using an outdated camera, a smaller lens than I really needed and I didn’t have time to get my camera settings ‘right’ so most of my photos were underexposed in camera.
But it was an exciting event and I got some documentary shots, so I’ll take it. And there was a bonus. The hawk’s victim wasn’t the beautiful male Lazuli Bunting I’d seen in my garden only moments before. Now that would have hurt.
Ron
Impressive reflexes and motor memory, Ron! That’s a good-lookin’ Cooper’s Hawk. Hope Daddy Sparrow steps up to the plate for the babies.
I’m supposed to try to take some shots and video of my current medical foster dog. Wish I had your skills. She’s all black and a total photon sink.
Thanks, Marty.
Regarding photographing your black foster, I’d suggest getting the sun behind you and low in the sky.
A birds gotta eat. And so does its offspring.
Despite getting plenty of other birds we don’t get the predators here. I wonder why not.
I refuse to spray pesticides both for the birds sake and for the skinks and lizards we get. And the insects are pollinators too.
Our sparrow numbers have declined dramatically. We used to get dozens and now it is a red letter day to see them. And yes, I blame our species. Despite our sparrows being imports I miss them and mourn.
“I wonder why not.”
EC, I remember learning that it was at least partially due to geographic isolation. At least that is/was the theory.
I complain about our House Sparrows but I’d miss them if they disappeared.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen a skink.
I’m with you about the poor victim. Sparrows are everywhere. Good pics even with all the problems of old camera, wrong lens…however your pics were darn clear.
Thanks very much, Linda. Not too bad for an old fart using old gear.
The lilac bush makes a VERY NICE background. As always – great shots.
Thanks, Judy. Like the photographer, the flowers on that bush are past their prime.
Your old gear is doing great! The prey is a female house sparrow. I hope the male sparrow will feed the nestlings. A hawks and it’s chicks got to eat too. I have the usual couple of Cooper’s, the male is out at my feeders right now. I have not seen them get many lazuli, in my yard it is usually house finches and quail they get. My house sparrow numbers have been really down the last few years. I used to have huge flocks. I attribute it to pesticides. My neighborhood’s residents require no insects, I have seen hardly any pollinators this year or last. The exterminators spray many of the yards, houses and fence lines in my neighborhood monthly. Sadly both on either side of me. The one side sprays so much on the wood fence line and down the side of their garage it comes through the slats, sometimes my cats come in smelling like they are drenched in it, I have to bathe them. House sparrows mostly eat insects during nesting. No food no birds. Plus I imagine it doesn’t take many neurotoxin laced bugs fed to growing chicks to cause permanent neurological damage so the chicks don’t survive.
“Your old gear is doing great.”
It’s doing better than I am, April. With the old stuff I can’t remember which buttons to push. And I’m not kidding.
You can have some of my House Sparrows. I have more than enough to share. I don’t use pesticides so that may part of the reason why.
My motto: Hawks gotta eat, but I don’t gotta watch! But these are great “documentary” photos, so I took a look 🫣 …glad your Lazuli is OK. Coops are a handsome raptor and I do love watching them fly through my yard on the hunt, though the only time I actually cheered for a catch was when the prey turned out to have 4 legs and a long, skinny tail! Unusual prey for a Cooper’s but I guessed he was especially hungry.
Chris, I haven’t seen any of those critters with “4 legs and a long, skinny tail” yet this year. And I hope it stays that way.
I considered putting a warning near the beginning of my post about prey being included but I figured that my title was warning enough.
WOW! Great when chance encounters come together like that! Amazing how these aging bodies can “group it” when necessary…. 😉 Always intersting that hawks “know” to pluck feathers before dining. 😉 Also glad it wasn’t the Lazuli……
“Amazing how these aging bodies can “group it” when necessary”
Judy, I can usually “group it” if I have to, but I often pay for it when I do. Sometimes it’s worth it though.
Interesting post Ron. I have seen this in the backyard a few times. Never fun to watch, but just like us and all living creatures, the hawk must eat. Once saw one stand on the neck of a Dove till it suffocated it and then when that was done started ripping out the feathers etc. Someone once told me that Ospreys aren’t birds of prey and I responded, “Tell that to the fish.”
I like your response to “someone”, Everett. I probably would have said something very similar.
That’s a beautiful Cooper’s! And like you, I’m happy that the target wasn’t the bunting – safety in numbers, I guess.
“safety in numbers, I guess”
I’m sure that’s part of it, Bill. There are usually about a dozen House Sparrows out there and the single Lazuli only shows up once or twice a day, briefly. But I’ll bet he was still there when the Coop rushed in.
Bravo for your immediate reaction and ability to take advantage of such an unexpected opportunity. And ditto re the Lazuli Buntings. Looking forward to your success with them too.
“Bravo for your immediate reaction”
Thanks, Burrdoo. I learned that this nearly disabled old man can move pretty damn fast when I see something like that out my window.
Your Cooper’s is a regal-looking creature ! I have to honestly admit
it–while I’m sorry for the sparrow–hawks gotta eat—like you, I’m so glad it wasn’t the bunting……the four Lazuli bunting males are still
in my backyard, and I just can’t keep my eyes off of them–when the sun illuminates their turquoise caps and backs, I sometimes gasp
because they’re SO BEAUTIFUL !
Kris, you describe my reaction to male Lazuli Buntings perfectly.
I’ve been working hard at trying to get decent shots of “my” Lazuli but he’s a nervous soul so all I have so far is far-away documentary photos. And very few of them.
Wow! A Coops! And an adult at that. I am surprised you were able to get any shots at all. Immature Coops will often hang around for a photo, but in my experience adults will disappear with the slightest provocation. I think these photos are great. Glad it was not the Bunting. That would have been a shame.
Flew a couple Coops back in the day. They are really a handful, but awesome hunters.
Michael, this particular Coop is a known neighborhood character. And you’re right – it’s a very spooky bird. Which is why you haven’t seen other photos of it.