the final chapter Posted on January 29, 2013 at 02:14:26 PM by ginny
finally, this morning, i was able to spot the accipiter that has been haunting my feeders.
the real give away that someone was about was the 35 plus blue jays that were yelling for their peanuts but not coming down to the driveway to get them
checked the spruce branches above my head and spotted a white-breasted nuthatch in full freeze formation - another indicator that a hawk was about
looked a little harder and finally saw the bird.
appeared to be a Cooper's - lower belly white without striping, body fairly even in thickness.
as it was deep in the spruce, and 20 feet above my head, i was unable to see the nape.
one leg was tucked into the feathers of the belly and the one it was standing on was also buried in feathers
the tail could be interpreted as being more rounded than square
size-wise, it was larger than a blue jay and the jays that live here grow big.
finally, checked the vocalizations they make and they can make a harsh barking sound which I had already heard twice before spotting the bird.
i had been attributing that sound to the jays as they make so very many different sounds.
no such sound is listed for SS hawks which could be that they don't do it or just that no one has recorded them doing it
the driveway side of my house is still passerine free although the pileated woodpecker has made a brief appearance
the peanuts are still sitting on the driveway, untouched by wary blue jays Replies: