Cooper's Hawk
Sometimes the wildlife watches you. This morning I hiked the dike at Wiley Slough in the Skagit River delta. I went to try and catch Cedar Waxwings. This time of year, they enjoy the ripe Pacific Crabapples that grow along the dike. The Lesser Snow Geese have also returned to Fir Island. Some shots of them would also be welcome. Alas, there were lots of American Robins, but no Cedar Waxwings and no Snow Geese. I headed back to the parking lot without a single photo. Then, this small hawk flew right up to me. He perched on a branch and took a good look as if to check me out.
This is a juvenile Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii). It is one of the three Accipiters that occur locally. They come in three sizes, small, medium and large. The Northern Goshawk (A. gentilis) is the largest of the group. The Cooper's is the medium sized bird, and the Sharp-shinned Hawk (A. striatus) is the smallest.
After getting a couple of photos, I continued on my way along the dike. The bird flew along with me and perched on the next tree. This is unusual behavior. Birds usually flee at the sight of me, especially when I point a camera at them. This one seemed to enjoy the experience, so I was able to get a couple more photos.
Cooper's Hawks have an interesting hunting technique. Instead of swooping onto their pray from the air, they use stealth and stalk their quarry through dense brush. When it gets close enough, it seizes the prey with its feet in a sudden lunge. It will squeeze it repeatedly to kill it. Birds are its favorite food, but it will also take small mammals.
When this bird matures, it will exhibit a rich gray back and head, a darker cap, and a white breast with orange bars. The eyes will be red.
Once again, I failed to get the photos I had sought, but ended up with something just as interesting. I am certainly not disappointed. This was another memorable wildlife encounter and the subject seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.
I am submitting this post over at Wild Bird Wednesday. Check it out.