Looking for birds
Immature Cooper’s Hawk in a pine next to my grocery store parking lot – Crappy Samsung cell phone image
Yesterday morning as I was leaving my grocery store I caught a flash of movement over my head and as I looked up I spotted an immature Cooper’s Hawk chasing after an American Crow. The crow landed at the top of a pine tree next to the parking lot and the young Cooper’s dove into the center of the pine about halfway up its height.
I didn’t have my bird photography gear with me so I shifted my grocery bags to my left hand, grabbed my cell phone, zoomed it in, walked towards the pine tree, and took a photo of the Cooper’s Hawk as it made its way to the top of the tree near the trunk.
I knew the cell phone snap was going to be crappy because I had zoomed it in as far as I could but I wanted to share it with a circle around the hawk to show what I was looking at.
American Crows in the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
By that time the American Crow had flown off and the person in a little white sedan that was driving slowly past me in the parking lot probably wondered what the heck I was doing staring at and why I was taking a photo of the tree. I paid no attention to the driver of the sedan as I watched the Cooper’s Hawk moving from branch to branch until it flew from the top of the tree and chased a crow to the edge of the parking lot and across a busy road towards an open field.
Young Cooper’s Hawk portrait – Nikon D500, f9, 1/640, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
Typically I see House Sparrows, European Starlings, Rock Pigeons and gulls in my grocery store parking lot. Over the past two years or so American Crows have become a more common sight there and in my neighborhood as well and I’ve repeatedly thought about taking my camera to the store to photograph the crows.
Once or twice I’ve seen a Cooper’s Hawk zoom by as I’ve headed to or from my Jeep at the grocery store. I’ve seen Ospreys, Bald Eagles, ducks and geese fly over that area too.
Young Cooper’s Hawk walking on a fence rail – Nikon D500, f10, 1/320, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light, not baited
Good eye sight can certainly help when it comes to finding birds however I know that paying attention to what is going on around and in front of me is equally important.
It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, I am never not looking for birds.
I even “see” them in my sleep.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Cooper’s Hawk photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here to see more of my American Crow photos plus facts and information about this species.
The American Crow image has been previously posted on my blog, the two photos of the young Cooper’s Hawk are new to it.
What do you know, we have one as well that is razing havoc with the locals and pigeons.
Your images are by far better!!
You give the phrase “for the birds”:deeper meaning👍(Tge crow in the foreground reminds me of my friend and troublemaker, Corby…nice!,,.
Of course you are always looking.
Some years back when making daily (and sometimes twice daily) visits to the hospital noticing the birds kept me sane(ish). I took to taking my camera with me so I could share the beauties I saw with the patient within. And yes, other people heading into the hospital thought I was mad – and some said as much. Their loss.
Cool. Catch. mia
Lol, your post gave me a good laugh! my husband and one of my friends give me a hard time because as we are driving anywhere, I yell out birds I see. They both will tell me. “I didn’t see anything you are making it up.” Sometimes I feel like the dog in the movie UP, only I will yell out any animal or bird. Maybe it is a new form of Tourettes!
Cool. Catch. mia
I once took a photo of a Fish Crow sitting on a lamp post while at a grocery store. Luckily, I had my camera with me. I definitely got a few stares but decided it was worth it. Great photos of the young Cooper’s Hawk.