Cooper's Hawk

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: COOPER'S HAWK

By Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Each year, a pair of Cooper's Hawks has chicks raised in their nest atop a large ficus tree on our property on Mt. Helix in unincorporated La Mesa. 

Today, one of the fledglings landed on our gate just a few feet from me, unpreturbed by my close proximity, and I snapped this photo of our newest resident bird of prey.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: OH BABY! A FAMILY OF HAWKS

By Miriam Raftery

July 6,2016 (Mt.Helix) -- For the past several years, a pair of Cooper's hawks have been nesting in our ficus tree.   This weekend,we were treated to the sight of both parents and two fledgling hawks taking wing, then alighting in a cedar tree on our property.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: UP, UP AND AWAY

 

June 6, 2014 (Mt. Helix) -- Mark Raftery captured this image of a Cooper's Hawk in flight, soaring high abouve Mt. Helix. 


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: COOPER'S HAWKS

 

July 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Bird Talk columnist Greg Dunne shared these images. He writes, “Out at my six-mile walk around Lake Murray Thursday towards the dam, I was treated to five fledgling Cooper's Hawks. I was able to observe them for quite a while.” The darker-backed Cooper's Hawks are the adults, he noted. “I could also tell the fledglings by their behavior, hopping around from branch to branch, making noise with their screeching, and just seeming unsure what to do next, while there was one that seemed a bit annoyed at all this commotion, and was a bit darker on the back side, and was a bit more poised than the young ones. A bit far away for good photos, but I really had a good time watching them.”


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: COOPER'S HAWKS IN JAMUL

 

July 1, 2013 (Jamul) – Debbie Ekhaml captured these close-up images of a Cooper's Hawk family in Jamul, as the fledgling hawks learn how to successfully hunt a sparrow.  Cooper’s Hawks prey on birds and small mammals, even taking on prey larger than themselves such as ducks and chickens.  They have sometimes been known to lose their lives for taking on the wrong prey, such as a large owl.


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