Lookie what I saw this morning!!

[jennielynn1970]

I was going to take a cat nap with the kitties this morning (was at home depot at 6am, lol), and I heard a very distressed animal sound coming from outside. I couldn't figure out if it was a bird or a larger animal, cause it was sooooo weird.

I went to see what it was, and found this bird, which I believe is a hawk, in the tree next door. I think he's injured as well. There was another bird with him that I didn't see until they took off together, but wow! What a sight!

The one pic looks like he's got a wound on his chest - whether from wires, or a human, I don't know.

[Freedom]

What a wonderful sight! Glad you thought to grab the camera and share with us.

If he (she?) is injured, I sure hope it is not too serious and will heal quickly.

[pitc9]

I think the blood you see in the 3rd and 4th pictures are from his lunch!

Looks like he's holding onto it with his feet and is eating!

[mustlovedogs]

Very neat!! But I hope he's ok.

[jennielynn1970]

I think the blood you see in the 3rd and 4th pictures are from his lunch!

Looks like he's holding onto it with his feet and is eating!

OH!!! EEEEEK!!! Maybe that was the weird noise I heard??? The screams of his lunch!


Well, better that than having him injured!

[Alysser]

It looks like a Turkey vulture, in the 3rd photo his head appears to be bald Am I the only one who sees that? Wow, what a cool think to see though.

ETA: Nevermind, his head isn't bald xD It's brown. I don't see the prey though. It could be likely you heard his breakfast screeching in distress. There's no doubt in my mind he's a hawk, maybe a Cooper's hawk?

[jennielynn1970]

He was a big sucker, I know that for sure! I kept waiting for him to swoop down and attack my head while I was trying to take pictures, lol. Paranoid, I know, lol!

He just looked disheveled, and rangy. Maybe from hunting. Don't know. All I know is that I will hear those freaky sounds in my head for a while.. just gave me the creeps. My one cat sat up and paid attention when I did as well, so he definitely knew something was up!

[jennielynn1970]

Anybody have any idea what kind he is?? I'm so not a bird person, as in typing birds, so I'm clueless (yeah, yeah... I left the door open on that one! )

[Karen]

Hard to tell, but he may be a red-tailed or red-shouldered hawk.

[jackie]

Its a good thing that you have your camera handy! Nice pics.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

He's definitely not a red-tailed hawk. Possibly a red-shoulder hawk. Red-shoulder hawks have the stripped tails like the one in your pictures. Red-tailed hawks have red tails. There are other hawks with stripped tails too though.

Here's a couple pictures of a red-shoulder hawk that hangs around my yard. Is this what your guy looked like? http://www.flickr.com/photos/kblaix/...7608765169048/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/kblaix/...7608765169048/

[jennielynn1970]

Nope... not a red shouldered hawk. The feathers were no where near that black and white. More grayish brown. And his tail feathers were long!! His head was that reddish brown color, and it went pretty far down his back from what I could see.

One of the women I know who works at Hawk Mountain up here suggested a Cooper's hawk, or in that family (Goshawk maybe). They are more common in this area.

I asked my mom if I could borrow her old "good" camera with the good lenses to see if I could get some other picutres. DOn't know if he'll be back here again, but it would be nice to see him again!

[ramanth]

I have a hard time telling raptors apart, but it definitely looks like he's enjoying a lunch. Neat pictures!

[Desert Arabian]

Looks to me to be a Cooper's Hawk. Have lots of them around here in WI, had one in my back yard last year eating a mourning dove that it snatched off of our bird feeder. Incredibly fast birds!