She came in silently but her presence was quickly detected. The sparrows started screaming (yes, birds can indeed scream) and blue jays called a noisy alarm. In one very sudden turn, the peaceful afternoon at the backyard feeders turned to mayhem when the backyard hawk returned!!! 
I was painting the walls in the kitchen when I heard the birds’ screams and knew that our quiet summer was over when I saw the Cooper’s Hawk perched in the tree above the feeders. She didn’t like seeing me and flew away as quickly as she’d appeared. But she must have been hungry… she returned within a matter of minutes and perched on a branch where I could watch her from the kitchen. This time I had my camera in hand and was able to get a few photos (one of them is to the right).
The Cooper’s Hawk can be sighted year-round in Oklahoma but I usually see the small hawks only in fall and winter. I believe this is a female Cooper’s Hawk based on the size of the bird. This was a very large bird, indicative of females (who are larger than males). And the tear drop shaped streaks on the chest are another sign that it was a Cooper’s rather than Sharp-shinned Hawk. And look at the stout legs… very noticeable even at a distance. The Sharp-shinned Hawk’s legs are quite thin.
As exciting as it is to have a hawk in the backyard, it also means that we’re entering the season when the birds can get chased from the feeders and remain off-camera for several hours. It doesn’t make for very interesting shots on the BirdCams, I regret. This afternoon, the chickadees and cardinals were the first to return. I want them to stay safe and provide a lot of cover (shrubs and trees) but this predator/prey thing is a necessary part of each bird’s life cycle.
I’ll be posting messages more frequently this week. It hasn’t seemed quite appropriate to focus on birds while so many people are dealing with the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps the hawk’s arrival today served to shake me out of the malaise… and return to what I enjoy doing.
So happy birding to everyone!
Pat
Hello Pat
That’s a very nice picture of the Cooper’s Hawk if only the Sparrow Hawk that visits my garden would pose so nicely.
We haven’t seen our visiting hawk for a while but we know she is about as the sparrows and doves are very nervous at the moment and fly at the slightest movement.
Les
We were driving past your neighborhood on Hefner Sat. morning going to Petsmart and saw a good size hawk circling above. I bet it was the same one you saw. Our sparrows are hiding in the Holly bush again so I guess there is a predator around but I haven’t seen it yet. Marie
We have Hawk problems in our back yard.
We have 6 bird feeders with different seeds to attract a wide range of birds.
The hawk has killed several Morning Doves, he makes several daily passes at the feeders.
I guess its his best food supply in the area.