we all need breakfast

[ironymaiden]

my best side
Originally uploaded by green eyed so and so.

la la la, i'm on vacation, i will take my book to the tea shop that makes crepes and have a lovely late breakfast. i reach for my coat and look out the window by the coat tree to see that someone else is having breakfast out today.

my guess is Peale's falcon, but i'd love it if someone with more bird knowledge could tell me more. EDITED TO ADD: info from the comments says juvenile Cooper's hawk. i was guessing a falcon because it wasn't as big as other hawks i've seen. cool. our yard has always been popular with wildlife; tons of birds and squirrels, an oft-used raccoon trail, and a hangout for neighborhood cats. this is the first bird-on-bird action i've seen.

Comments

[spazzychic.livejournal.com]

Yay vacation and happy almost birthday. :)

[the-monkey-king.livejournal.com]

Wow, great picture! Quite a great birding moment.

I have no clue as to species.

[refractednotion.livejournal.com]

What a delicious bloody mess it has! Great catch!

[weezlgrrrl.livejournal.com]

He looks very content. All he needs is a latte.

ID Answer

[sea-gaagii.livejournal.com]

I work with an avid bird watcher and got an answer from him:
I’m pretty sure it is a Cooper’s Hawk. I’d say it is a first year juvenile, since the stripes on the breast are vertical (they are horizontal in adults), and the eye is yellow (it darkens with age). The top of the head is slightly flattened—it has a little bit of a crest that is lowered in these photos. A Peregrine would have a malar patches around the eyes, feathers farther down the legs, paler legs, and are more gray than brown. Also, the habitat definitely suggests Cooper’s Hawk rather than Peregrine. Cool photo!

Re: ID Answer

[ironymaiden]

awesome, thanks! i was thinking it wasn't a hawk because it's relatively small.

[joyful-storm.livejournal.com]

PREDATOR SQUEE!!!!!!

Bird ID

[varina8.livejournal.com]

Given the length of tail and wings, it may also be a sharp-shinned hawk. They are both accipters (not related to the buteos like the local red-tailed hawks) and like similar habitat. The Cooper's hawk is a bit larger and slightly less common.

[sinthrex.livejournal.com]

We've got a Sibley's for Western NA if you want to look tomorrow.

[brainstormfront.livejournal.com]

Very cool pic I'm saving to my hard drive, thank ye.

And because I know I'll be lacking internet after tomorrow morning for the rest of the weekend, lemme sneak in an early Happy Birthday to you! Hope you have a great day and marvelous weekend full of thanks and happiness.

Steven