Greetings,

It is no surprise in my neighborhood to see the occasional hawk; sometimes it is an adult Red-tailed perched in the treeline looking over the agricultural field across the street, at other times it is a young Sharp-shinned during the winter trying to nab the unassuming feeder bird. However, over the course of the last year there seems to be at least one, if not two adult Cooper’s Hawks in the area- the Terror of the Neighborhood.

In fact, today while going for an evening walk, I noticed one of the Cooper’s gliding through the neighborhood yards as if it owned the property itself. This bird, I believe has been the cause of several dead birds and their remains scattered through my yard over the past half year. Earlier on I reported of finding a dead bird’s feathers and its legs. Just recently I happened to come across another crime scene…that of a dead Blue Jay. All that was found really was its feathers, but the evidence of an avian predator was clear. Hopefully the Cooper’s stay around, as it is nice to see raptors from time to time, but hopefully it leaves some other birds in the neighborhood to enjoy as well.

Other birds noted on the evening walk tonight included Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Chimney Swift, and American Crow. A small list but a nice backdrop to a fun walk with my girlfriend.

~Chad