This pair, I believe to be Cooper’s Hawks, with the female being the larger of the two, were photographed Monday sitting high atop the unoccupied 16-room Purple Martin motel I built several years ago. I enjoyed seeing the single bird sitting there often, but of late this pair seems to have taken this up as their primary scouting roost.
They usually join up in pairs to begin mating around March, so these two are checking out the local condos where they will set up housekeeping soon.
I have noted that I have not had field mice come in the basement the last two winters, and I would say this is the reason. They’re better than any pest control you could buy!
This is the best photo I could get, at max-zoom with my pocket size Nikon CoolPix S7c, but through my spotter’s scope they were beautiful to watch on this cool and breezy day in February. This is the same little camera that is always in my pocket, and for most things like hiking, family outings/gatherings, and general photography, but sometimes, like today, I wished I had a digital SLR with some great lenses. However, I’m satisfied the way things are. How else can you sneak a camera into an ER or a museum?
I have also been hearing the local Barred Owls talking across the cove lately too. They mate in March, but spend most of the month of February calling up and checking out the best owl-babes! The one that sat on my deck a few years back was huge, at least to me, and was a prime specimen – a full feathered babe!
