I completely forgot to post these two photos of a young Cooper’s Hawk from last month, so here they are now. This individual was going after a Song Sparrow that had taken cover in a brush pile. It really seemed as if more accipiters remained in the Northeast during the extreme December record heat with more prey to find than usual in very cooperative weather conditions.
What do you think is harder – hunting on a 60 degree sunny day with a light southerly breeze, or finding a meal when several inches of snow is falling in 20 degree temperatures with a bitter northerly flow?
I continue to believe that a fair amount of the wintering range of some species, or at least the areas where they are most abundant, is so dependent on short-term regional weather conditions. As the climate continues to change and become more extreme they will have to adapt just as readily to survive.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
