FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Cooper's Hawk, Juvenile Behavior

["David & Gloria Patterson" <dgpatterson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Houston Lane, Ooltewah, Hamilton County, TN
August 7, 2005

Two juvenile Cooper's Hawks, looking like 1st year females, spent 30 minutes 
around 1:00 PM August 6th in what looked like play.  First they harassed some 
squirrels on a feeding bench; the squirrels didn't appear cautious or afraid.  
Dozens of Cardinals and other birds fed nearby, ignoring the hawks.  Then the 
hawks perched on low branches in nearby trees, watching the ground intently.  
One pounced on what looked like a cicada, and after a lot of activity appeared 
to eat it.  One caught an earthworm and ate it; it took about 5 or 6 strikes to 
subdue the worm.  Some minutes later one attacked a much larger prey in the 
grass, striking it, jumping back, striking repeatedly, biting it some,- it was 
a pine cone!

They were large, attractive birds, flying well, but not in my judgement nearly 
as fast as Cooper's Hawks should, and they stayed in plain sight most of the 
time, not hiding as expected.  We haven't found any feathers in the yard 
recently.

Cooper's are fairly common in the yard, catching a feeder bird from time to 
time.  We have suspected a nest in the neighborhood this spring.

David and Gloria Patterson