big birds in my trees

[Bevel Heaven]

Anyone know what kind of birds these 2 are? They have nested in one of my trees. They are pretty big, maybe a couple feet head to tail. I would really like to know the real name or species etc to learn about them. I am in California I think they are some kind of hawk but don't really have a clue....

I shot this the other night, just before dark..... Might be able to get some better ones if I see em in the day

 

[eminart]

I believe those are Cooper's Hawks.

 

[Bevel Heaven]

ahah, thanks. I did some googling and found this page

http://www.geocities.com/tgrey41/Pages/CoopersHawkp.html

yep these are them - thanks.

I watched them do their mating ritual last year in the cedar tree in the front.... It was nice to see them re appear and build their nest in the back.

 

[doenoe]

thats pretty cool, to have birds like that nesting near you. Gives nice photo ops

 

[memento]

i don't know man, those guys are a little more than just birds.

i hope you don't have any small dogs..

 

[Phranquey]

i hope you don't have any small dogs..

I don't know if I would have put a smiley after that one...these primarily feed on other birds, but they really will take cats, small dogs, rabbits, skunks, etc.

 

[MissMia]

They could also be a Sharp-shinned Hawk - very similar to Cooper's Hawks. I had a pair of Sharp-shinned that used to frequent our yard until the Harris' Hawks moved in!

 

[Tennessee Landscape]

they don't have the traditional tail of a predator bird. They look young too. Don't let your cat out if you have one, they'll eat it for lunch....as an appetizer

 

[hawkeye]

Congrats, very lucky to have them in your back yard. More likely than not, they will come back every year. So, lucky you!

 

[Bevel Heaven]

I saw them again today atop the cedar tree in the front yard, as the sun was setting. I was on the bar b que just pulling the fish off so couldn;t go grab my gear. Hope to get some better shots soon, with my new 2.8 300mm lens. But with my new baby, and my business thime is so tight I haven;t got to play with the lens yet.... The shot above was taken with my f4 300mm just before dark.................

 

[Bevel Heaven]

One of em came over to the front yard tree this afternoon when I was unloading the truck and had my camera handy........ This guy is pretty big

 

[Phranquey]

They could also be a Sharp-shinned Hawk - very similar to Cooper's Hawks.

I had thought the same thing as well. After looking them up, the head proportion to the body is definitely a Cooper.

Keep an eye on these guys. If you are seeing them regularly, that means they are likely hunting around as well. You may be able to get some good swoop & kill pics out of it.

 

[Bevel Heaven]

OK I am happy to report that mamma and pappa have produced 2 lovely little offspring. Now that I know they are the babies that are buzzing around our house, I will try to get some pix of them. Anyways, below is another photo of mamma. I find myself looking up every time I step outside, and really happy about them being here in my yard.