Your welcome applestar,
I have quite a few here along with downies that love the finch feeders this time of year. It really was just a guess not knowing what size the birdhouse was, but the tail feathers looked rather long for a downy, so there ya go.
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applestar
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I saw Junco's outside this morning. Junco's are also called "Snowbirds" around here and, with their snowy white bellies, are harbingers of freezing weather. Their arrival signifies that the extended fall weather has likely come to an end.
Unless it's going to be a warm winter, I'm not likely to see any more passing Robins since they usually take over from each other as garden birds -- though sometimes they might overlap for about a week.
Unless it's going to be a warm winter, I'm not likely to see any more passing Robins since they usually take over from each other as garden birds -- though sometimes they might overlap for about a week.
Cornell, All about birds: "Sharp-shinned Hawk, the smallest hawk in North America ... Similar Species Cooper's Hawks are notoriously difficult to separate from Sharp-shinned Hawks. Cooper’s Hawks are a larger species, but males and females differ so much in size that this character alone is rarely enough. Remember that Cooper’s Hawks tend to be more common breeders in suburban areas, whereas Sharp-shinned Hawks nest almost exclusively in conifers and heavily wooded areas; you’ll see them in neighborhoods typically only in winter... Sharp-shinned Hawks ... The Merlin is similar in size, but it’s a falcon..."
LIcenter, your great photos and ID prompted me to ~ once again ~ try to identify the little hawks I would see almost daily, if I would pay close attention.
How do you identify the hawk in the picture as a Cooper's? Where would you expect to find the Cooper's nest; might it also be in an evergreen conifer?
Merlins were once common but I think that they are being displaced because of housing developments. Do you suppose that AllAboutBirds is saying that the Merlin falcon may be smaller than the "smallest hawk" Sharp-shinned but it's a falcon? I consider the Merlin a smaller bird. Heck's fire! The Merlin is also called a Pigeon "Hawk" ...
I've always thought that what I see is a Sharp-skinned but they are right on into urban neighborhoods, chasing ... pigeons.
Steve
LIcenter, your great photos and ID prompted me to ~ once again ~ try to identify the little hawks I would see almost daily, if I would pay close attention.
How do you identify the hawk in the picture as a Cooper's? Where would you expect to find the Cooper's nest; might it also be in an evergreen conifer?
Merlins were once common but I think that they are being displaced because of housing developments. Do you suppose that AllAboutBirds is saying that the Merlin falcon may be smaller than the "smallest hawk" Sharp-shinned but it's a falcon? I consider the Merlin a smaller bird. Heck's fire! The Merlin is also called a Pigeon "Hawk" ...
I've always thought that what I see is a Sharp-skinned but they are right on into urban neighborhoods, chasing ... pigeons.
Steve
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LIcenter
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Cooper's and Sharp-shinned are a bear to distinguish, even for the pros in the field. Hopefully a picture you have taken will have enough factors to rule out this from that. I did find this site to give me side by side comparisons. https://feederwatch.org/learn/tricky-bir ... nned-hawk/ I was lucky enough to get a few pics of it's legs, and a very good pick of it's head. Now this is a juvie which does make it more difficult, but if you look at it's eyes you will notice they are more set forward than the S-S. The legs are also thicker than a S-S as seen in this photo.digitS' wrote:LIcenter, your great photos and ID prompted me to ~ once again ~ try to identify the little hawks I would see almost daily, if I would pay close attention.
How do you identify the hawk in the picture as a Cooper's? Where would you expect to find the Cooper's nest; might it also be in an evergreen conifer?
Merlins were once common but I think that they are being displaced because of housing developments. Do you suppose that AllAboutBirds is saying that the Merlin falcon may be smaller than the "smallest hawk" Sharp-shinned but it's a falcon? I consider the Merlin a smaller bird. Heck's fire! The Merlin is also called a Pigeon "Hawk" ...
I've always thought that what I see is a Sharp-skinned but they are right on into urban neighborhoods, chasing ... pigeons.
Steve
Also when it was flying away I noticed the thicker white band at the tip of it's tail. As far as where they might nest, we have very large spruce trees in the surrounding area, that would support their habit nicely. A lot of lateral branches on these trees are thicker than many trees that grow in my area. Along with that are many marsh/bog, and small lake areas make it perfect for grabbing unsuspecting critters. My hope is, this youngin is the offspring from the one I saw last February seen here.
As far as falcons go, I have seen on many occasion Perigrine falcons, which are quite small, and very fast on the wing. I saw one take out a sparrow in mid-flight one time. What an awesome site that was. Oh and just to throw a monkey wrench into id'ing between a juvie C-H, and a S-S, never count out a Northern Goshawk either.
Happy birding! 
Well, I guess I can take comfort that both species are here. Good for them!
That's a nice comparison of photos on that feederwatch site. Thank you!
"...the careful observer must use a combination of field marks and draw from the overall “gestalt” of the hawk for proper identification. No field guide will substitute for plenty of practice in the field." I bet that's too much for me to expect of myself.
They fly quickly altho they will perch. I wish I could get a better look at the legs. Many hawks have huge legs and feet. If the S-s has unusually small, thin legs, it should be distinctive.
The idea of dove-size vs crow-size ..? I don't believe that what I'm seeing fits with as-small-as a dove nor as-large-as a crow. Significant size difference is noted but ... I'll say one thing, polymorphism wasn't a term I even recognized until I began looking longer and more carefully at hawks. I guess that polymorphism might play into the current controversy on a "modern evolutionary theory synthesis." I like that adaptation and environment and genetics are still in the pot and on the scientific front burner
.
Anyway, it's probably that Goshawk that will come up behind me when I have been for walks in the woods, all but darting over my shoulder as it passes me on the trail before veering off into the trees! Or, it could be the little Sharp-shinned and just that I'm startled into thinking that it's the size an F-22 !
Steve
That's a nice comparison of photos on that feederwatch site. Thank you!
"...the careful observer must use a combination of field marks and draw from the overall “gestalt” of the hawk for proper identification. No field guide will substitute for plenty of practice in the field." I bet that's too much for me to expect of myself.
They fly quickly altho they will perch. I wish I could get a better look at the legs. Many hawks have huge legs and feet. If the S-s has unusually small, thin legs, it should be distinctive.
The idea of dove-size vs crow-size ..? I don't believe that what I'm seeing fits with as-small-as a dove nor as-large-as a crow. Significant size difference is noted but ... I'll say one thing, polymorphism wasn't a term I even recognized until I began looking longer and more carefully at hawks. I guess that polymorphism might play into the current controversy on a "modern evolutionary theory synthesis." I like that adaptation and environment and genetics are still in the pot and on the scientific front burner
.Anyway, it's probably that Goshawk that will come up behind me when I have been for walks in the woods, all but darting over my shoulder as it passes me on the trail before veering off into the trees! Or, it could be the little Sharp-shinned and just that I'm startled into thinking that it's the size an F-22 !
Steve
Yes.
Don't edit out the hawk's red eyes.
I haven't had a feeder for years but have now and then discovered a hawk in the yard. A couple of times, the feathered evidence of their visits have greeted me after I have entered through the gate.
Whoa! the little carnivores are so aggressive out there in their bird eat bird world!
Steve
Don't edit out the hawk's red eyes.
I haven't had a feeder for years but have now and then discovered a hawk in the yard. A couple of times, the feathered evidence of their visits have greeted me after I have entered through the gate.
Whoa! the little carnivores are so aggressive out there in their bird eat bird world!
Steve
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