Cooper or Sharpie?

I'm half way through my hard drive.... 45GB done
with 54 to go! More pictures from the archives.

February of 07 -12:15 pm

Cooper's Hawk and Sharp -shinned are sometimes hard
to distinguish when trying to identify. I have both who
come to the yard in search of a meal from my feeder.

This one gave me the thrill of my life as I was returning
from a trip to the store, there he was on my shepherd's hook
on the side deck scoping out birds for lunch.
I actually backed out of the driveway, went around back,
ran up into the house, got the camera and returned out front
to shoot about a hundred pictures. He stayed a long time.

The Cooper's is a medium sized accipiter, longer tail than Sharpie,
it's chest has dark streaks and it's legs are thicker than it's counter-
part.

March of 08 - 9:30 am

When you factor in male, female, adult and juvenile to the mix
it becomes even more difficult to tell these birds apart.

August 06- 8:25 am

On this morning I looked out and there he was on the deck railing.

A Juvenile Coopers can be mistaken for a Sharpie

February 07 - 8:50 am

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is smaller, our smallest
accipiter, with a smaller head and shorter tail and it's
chest has coarse brown streaks.

April 07 - 10:22 am

Lighting can also make the biggest difference in how
these hawks look... This Sharpie was not much bigger
than a blue-jay and very fast when he flew.
It can go right into a bush and come up with a
bird in it's talons.

September 07 - 7:55 pm

August 06 6:38 am

Very alert and ever watching while perching
among the left over walnuts.

Almost all of these sightings were in the morning.
It pays to get up early and LOOK out the window!

To God be the Glory ~~ Great Things He Hath Done