Eating breakfast this morning I saw this hawk land on our back fence.
I ran and got my camera and it had moved to the bird house.
After a few moments there, it took off ...
Not Rich's hawk quality, but, not bad for a quick shot through the window, for me at least.
Anyway, Google Lens ID's it as a Cooper's Hawk. Merlin says it is more likely a Sharp-shinned but could be a Cooper's.
Can anyone tell me for sure which it is?
I don't know which hawk that is, Jim, but I do know great luck when I see it. I also know that I wouldn't have liked to have been between your breakfast table and your camera when you launched. Nice pictures. Rich
Thanks Rich. The camera was in my office at the other side of the house.
I was pretty lucky the hawk hung around long enough for me to get a couple shots of it.
Too bad I was so anxious I didn't up the ISO to 1600 and get a faster shutter to freeze the action in the second shot.
I really like the first Jim. There is pretty nice feather detail. As you are well aware I play with images (compulsive disorder I suspect). I added some contrast and for me it makes the image pop a bit more. I am not really familiar with the software you use but if it has a local tone mapping function you might try playing with it a bit at low settings. It will darken and lighten parts of the bird. Simply increasing the contrast by a small amount does this to a certain extent but I often use local tone mapping to make a relatively flat image more dynamic.
We have a painting of a cooper's hawk hanging in the family room and it does have a similar look.
Andrew
Thanks Andrew. I was using too low a shutter speed for much detail in the second, though the head is pretty sharp.
I tinkered with the first shot a little, and I output it at a larger size. Maybe it's a little better ...
I took it in landscape then cropped a little off the top and bottom ...
This version actually looks a little softer than the original version Jim. I think your original version is likely better than my play. This site allows me to view the original posted size and a smaller version, but not a version that 'fits the screen'. It makes it difficult to judge the image unless you save it and view it in your own viewer of choice. I have no idea what the site does to the file displayed but it must be compressed all to heck because the images are flat and lifeless as displayed (a general comment and nothing to do with your images). In any case, a fine image that I would be very pleased to have taken Jim.
Andrew
Nice Capture .. Not sure how you can tell the difference unless he sat down next to a yard stick! ... All hawks of that nature I call Cooper's and even one young Red Wing I called Cooper's for years until I posted it on DPR and someone questioned that .. . We were fortunate as we've had Cooper's raise three families in a pine tree next door that we noticed as they did some training in our yard ..... but that neighbor cut down the tree a couple years ago .. and Cooper's now only occasionally stop by the yard and mostly older ones that are shy ... So keep looking through that window .. maybe he likes whatever lives in that bird house ...
WhyNot
I think the bird is a Cooper's Hawk. Assuming the nest is of typical size, the bird looks much larger than a Blue Jay (which is about the same size as a Sharp-shinned). Also the white band at the tip of the tail is larger and the neck longer than I would expect for a sharpy. Also the body shape is more like a Coopers. However, I could be wrong, so I would suggest posting it on the Nature & Wildlife forum for a more definitive answer.
[quote="@jimmyv4351"]
Eating breakfast this morning I saw this hawk land on our back fence.
Looks like he was looking for breakfast too. Nice and quickly done
Yes, it was much larger than a Blue Jay, so Cooper's it is. Thanks for the ID.
Funny how scarce the rabbits and squirrels who infest our yard were when this guy was around. As soon as he flew off, they were back...
You are the lucky one. All I get in my garden is sparrows and gulls. And the occasional thrush.😋
This was a very rare sighting Charlotte.
Lovely photos Jim the only raptor I got so far is the Buzzard haven’t seen a sparrow hawk / kestrel / peregrine Falcon our anything else hopefully some day 🙂Paul
