We seemed to have lucked upon one of the Volunteer Park cooper’s hawks during a Friday stroll on 16th Ave trying to work off yesterday’s bird:
Discarded fast food makes the urban environment very “productive,” said Purcell. It attracts the pigeons and in turn, hawks. It’s an interesting example of urban habitat that hawks have adjusted to. Hawks “perch and ambush,” and the local crows try to get rid of them by “dive bombing” and calling loudly.
“Any time you hear a group of angry crows, look carefully and see what the source of the annoyance is,” said Purcell. “It’s likely to be well hidden but it could be a hawk, or an owl or a raccoon in the top of a tree.”
Here’s to productive urban animals. Where did you take your post-Thanksgiving stroll? See any cool birds?
Beautiful shot
…heading south at a brisk trot on 18th near Highland, near Interlaken Park.
Has been hanging out on the corner of 11th and East John Street using “The Tree” as cover. Watches for movement in the undergrowth and then swoops down going back onto the railing to consume! Avoids the crows by being so close to people and using the leaves and undergrowth as ‘cover’.
j
Golden-crowned kinglets on 16th and Olive this weekend, and (while it’s not really Cap Hill but rare enough to note) ruby-crowned kinglets at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center