FreeLists / tn-bird / [tn-bird] Standifer Gap Marsh, Cooper's Hawk

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

About 8 AM two Cooper's Hawks flew over the marsh from the south-east corner
and left at the north end, a half mile or more.  The stayed close together,
perhaps ten feet apart, through several turns and dips, looking almost like
an out-of -season courtship.

Three or four more times they flew over the marsh, always very close
together.  One time they flew into the woods on the west side, where they
were swarmed by about 6 crows for a while.

The last time I saw them together, about 9:30, they came into the swamp from
the north end and landed in a 10-ft tree standing in the water.  When I
looked more closely I saw another Cooper's Hawk a little lower in the tree.
After a few minutes one of the original hawks dropped from the tree and I
heard loud squawks.  Some of the squawks sounded like Green Heron, some
might have been Cooper's Hawk kuk-kuk-kuk's.  The Green Heron flew up and
perched 10 feet away on a fence in the water.  The hawk returned to the
tree.

Later one of the hawks left the tree and flew 100 feet and landed between 2
Green Herons perched on the fence.  It was not more than 2-3 feet from one
of them.  The 3 of them sat there for 10 minutes or so like old buddies
fishing together.

Eventually the hawks left separately.  I continued seeing Cooper's Hawks
from time to time, but never together again.

I surmise that an inexperienced Cooper's Hawk might have tried to catch a
Green Heron and learned a lesson, fortunate to have 2 eyes left.


Also:  Nashville Warbler  and  a young-looking Red-shouldered Hawk.  The
Red-winged Blackbird numbers were down to a dozen or so.


Only about a fourth of the Water Lily blooms are left, but they are still
impressive.


Dragonfly watchers need to check out this swamp.


David Patterson
Chattanooga





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