Blue Jay End
Speaking of hawks, it appears that I came upon the final remains of a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) this morning with this very large pile of feathers strewn about under a small tree. The raptor sat here in a relatively quiet spot and plucked its prey, leaving little else behind. I would guess that an accipiter – probably a Cooper’s Hawk, but possibly a Sharp-shinned – took this Blue Jay hours earlier. It may not be the most enjoyable find for some, but it is the cycle of life in nature, and that hawk has to try to survive, too. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreCooper’s Hawk
This Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was not feeling the freezing rain after it flipped from snow, though its outrageously orange eyes did match its vest quite well. Life is hard for these hawks in the winter as every successful capture helps to stave off potential starvation, a problem frequently seen in juveniles. However, a bird that has reached the age this one has undoubtedly possesses finely-tuned hunting skills.
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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...
Read MoreHawk Walk
Last Saturday the Aspetuck Land Trust held its second fall “hawk walk” of the season at the Trout Brook Valley Conservation Area in Easton/Weston, Connecticut. I tagged along to help find some birds and talk about the wonderful land, wearing my hat for both RTPI and as a member of the Aspetuck Land Trust Land Management Committee. I also happen to love the property and, along with RTPI President Twan Leenders, helped initiate and create a conservation and management plan for the site several years ago. In the below photos you can see federally licensed bander Larry Fischer, a...
Read MoreCooper’s Hawk
I have been posting many photos of migrant songbirds lately, and here is one of their predators – the Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii). This raptor of the forest is an extremely agile and talented flier, able to navigate through thick woodlands in pursuit of prey. You may recognize them from your yard as they are frequent bird feeder guests, targeting hungry passerines. They seem to be less adept at capturing prey in open areas like this one, unable to fully utilize their maneuverability and relative speed as they do in more dense habitat to surprise and outwit songbirds. This...
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