Hawk ID Cooper's Hawk?

[PixelRabbit]

Woot! I FINALLY got a look at this guy when he wasn't picking a bird out of the air or going at high speed!

He showed up a while back, the first time I saw him he was mashed against the glass catching an unfortunate Junco, second time he picked one out of the air, this time I saw him go past the front and miss and head up towards a tree. I grabbed the camera and ran upstairs and there he was but not for long! This is the best shot of the 3 he let me have this time.

Wondering if he is a Cooper's Hawk? I want to research habits etc...
Thanks for taking a look!

 

[Parker219]

Yep, its a Coopers hawk. You can tell by the tail. *Edit- It turns out I was wrong.*GASP* Most agree its a sharp shinned.


I have one that lives by me, but he doesn't land when I have my camera with me!

Nice capture!

 

[PixelRabbit]

Cool, thanks Parker.
This fellow has been quite elusive but active!

 

[rodbender]

Pretty sure you got a sharp shinned hawk there coopers have different length tail feathers sharp shinned have the same length
Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks

 

[Parker219]

Wow, those are very close. Now I am confused. :scratch:

 

[PixelRabbit]

Me too Parker but the tail sure does look straight across. I'll check the other two shots later and see if there is another angle.

 

[sm4him]

Yeah, sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper's hawks look very, very similar. *I'd* say this is a sharp-shinned, but my hawk ID abilities are pretty rudimentary.

Coastalconn would know, but I'm not sure he's been on today.

 

[coastalconn]

I'm thinking it is a Sharpie, judging by how it is more barrel chested. Cooper's are longer and more slender. Was it smaller or larger than a crow? Although not 100% accurate relative size helps a lot as sharpies are generally 10-14" tall and Coopers are over 14" tall...

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks so much Sharon and Coastal!
He is sitting in that same tree right now as we speak (approx same time as the picture I posted for the ID was taken) and he is definitely a Sharp Shinned. His tail is dead straight across and he is a little smaller than a crow.
I would like to also say that I don't have enough light or lens to shoot him where he sits **sigh**

 

[sm4him]

If he's been in that tree before, and he's in it now, he'll be in it again. So start thinking about a plan. How close can you get to the tree? Is there somewhere you could set up a "blind" of sorts to lie in wait for it?

I'd set me up some sort of camo "blind" to hide behind--then I'd monitor him, see if there are particular times of the day that he alights in the tree. Then I'd just park myself in my blind--I've been known to sit in one spot for HOURS waiting on a bird to show up. That's what I'm currently doing with my bald eagles; so far, I've gotten only one shot of it perched and it was too far away. I can't get very close, because the tree is on private property. I've been hoping to encounter the owner and ask permission to set up in their field for a while...but they have a gated driveway, so I'm just gonna have to be lucky enough to catch them going in or out.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks Sharon, good luck on your quest! I have no doubt you will get some great shots

I don't have near the challenge that you have. His chosen tree is outside an upstairs window, but, it is right at the edge of my reach with my 18-200. On the upside he will fly out on an angle towards my right so some action shots are most likely, roosting will be rough to pull off.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Oops, couple shots from the window... Truly so close but just out of reach!!

 

[sm4him]

Well, in THAT case...there is only one solution to this problem.
Feed your family nothing but ramen noodles and rice and beans for the next month so that you can afford a longer lens.
Get your priorities straight.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Haha! I like the way you think!!

 

[PixelRabbit]

Aaaaaand this morning when I was checking for the hawk I found a huge owl!!!

(But the camera was still set on a 2sec timer so I got a picture of the window frame lol)