Monday, March 3, 2008

He's Baaaack! And He's Not Alone.




Lately, we've had several visits from this beautiful fellow. A few people have told me he looks like a Merlin falcon. Others have said he might be an immature Cooper's hawk. I've looked at the bird guide, and can't quite figure out what he is. We have a raptor hospital nearby, so I may have to take his picture over there and ask for an identification. At any rate, he's pretty amazing to see perched in our yard. He let me come within 10 or 15 feet of him to snap these pictures. The zoom lens helped, too. I would say he's about the length of my forearm, from elbow to fingertip. Say, about 17-18 inches. He's a beauty.

Edited to add: The experts at the Raptor Trust have identified him (her?) as a Cooper's Hawk.





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We've had a lot of other avian visitors as well. I love scattering some bread on the deck, and then listening for the bird calls that signal "birdie smorgasbord!"


Here's my favorite crow picture. I had tossed some grapes on our deck, and this glossy guy was peering through the french doors at me, waiting to see if it was safe to snatch them up.





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Isn't this grackle beautiful? Just look at all the colors in his coat. Grackles travel in huge flocks, and they are noisy and combative -- always fighting over the same piece of bread. But taken individually, they are lovely -- shining feathers gleaming in the sun.









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Finally, here is a little Slate-colored Junco. Shy and sweet, always ready to nip in and snatch a few bites before the other birds come back for seconds.






I'm so looking forward to spring this year, and these birds are harbingers. The days are getting just a little longer, and the earth just a little warmer. Hooray! Hurry, spring!

33 comments:

  1. I love birds. I have been hearing them singing in the morning before I get up. It wakes me with a smile becaue I haven't heard them all winter so I know they are telling me spring is near:>)

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  2. What lovely bird pics...this weekend I started hearing birds outside and you realize how long it's been since you've heard a bird's call!

    You have some nice visitors, Mary!

    Have a great Monday!
    :0)
    Tara

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  3. I love your bird photos, they are beautiful. Enjoying your blog as well.

    Warm wishes,
    firefly

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  4. I love the birds too. Robins have been here for a couple of weeks, just hanging out waiting for the ground to thaw so they can have a big worm dinner. The juncos are my favorite winter bird, their roundness reminds me of Weebles, although they on't wobble :)
    Janet

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  5. You took some amazing shots. Can't wait for my sleepy head husband to get up so I can share them with him. We both enjoy birdwatching, too.

    Have a wonderful week.......Rosie

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  6. What a beautiful morning, with the sun out, the weather better, and seeing more birds around. THank you for sharing Mary. About the grackle. There are many around us, as well.

    Happy Monday!
    Jeannie

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  7. Yes, I can hear the birds calling. Spring is very near. Love the photos..Have a sunny day, Janie

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  8. What fabulous pictures of your feathery friends...I saw 7 Robins in our front yard yesterday..camera not close and by the time I got it, the black birds had shooed away the Robins. Yep....Spring is right around the corner.
    hugs, bj

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  9. Wow! What beautiful visitors you have! So close to warmer weather! Yay!

    Amanda:)

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  10. I love all your birds..how Blessed you are that they gather at your house! They must be great fun to watch!
    Hugs,
    Robin

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  11. I so miss many of the songbirds that we have in the Midwest... but out here in the desert, we have interesting characters too. Every morning for the past week, we hear a Mockingbird..He goes from front to back in a blink. We just filled our feeders with thistle for the flock of goldfinch that's due to fly through soon.. We also have had a dark-eyed junco and a titmouse go through. Of course, there's always the doves and gambler's quail. They pace the back wall...like they were on duty....I love birds...

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  12. That's a magnificent visitor you have there, Mary. Please let us know what he is for sure, if you are able to find out.

    Birds' colors and feathers are beautiful and thanks to your fine photography, we get to see it up close. It's interesting to see all the variety.

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  13. Oh, excellent pic of the Cooper's Hawk. I'll show this blog to my husband tonight when I get home to make sure it's the immature Cooper's Hawk. We can check out myriad of bird books!

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  14. Your big fellow is really a beauty! I can't even identify all the birds who stop by my feeder so I'm no help when it comes to what kind he is!!! LOL Beautiful pics...thanks for sharing! Have a great week!
    ~Des

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  15. What great bird pictures. I'm really impressed by your hawk. We have one that is after our squirrels!

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  16. These photos are awesome. I can't wait to see the first robin. Blessings, karen

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  17. They are beautiful... they must be starvin. I bet he went back and told his buddies about your little cozy home and what a feast you give hehe. Happy Monday

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  18. Wonderful bird pictures! I've been seeing more unusual birds here lately, myself, and I'm thrilled that local conservation efforts have been paying off. I saw my first Marsh Hawk and it was chasing a very frightened squirrel. Luckily the squirrel got away!
    Crows are so funny -- your picture shows his personality!

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  19. I've had a hawk around my home lately. I went out on my patio and I didn't realize he was up in the tree. I must have startled him and he took off and just about hit me in the face with his wings. It scared the #$%* out of me! Now I watch my little chihuahua cafefully when I let him outside. I think that hawk is bigger than him! I can just see him carrying poor Beau off!

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  20. Beautiful bird pictures Mary! We have quite a big population in our back yard and the best thing is hearing them singing in the morning.
    Hugs,
    Donna

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  21. Cool photo's Mary! Well it is finally starting to feel a little like Autumn here, so Spring is definitely on her way over to you. Maybe she's caught up in Customs at the airport? lol Hope you're having a wonderful day sweetie!
    Amanda (aka Cottage Contessa)

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  22. Great photos!!. I love listening and watching birds. They are so fascinating. Of course, anytime I want to interact with a bird I just go into the living room to my African Grey *giggles*. Of course he's a big talker (sometimes too much) *LOL* unlike the birds outside.
    Thanks for sharing these photos and when you find out the correct identity of that bird , do let us know, I'm curious :-).
    Have a wonderful evening!

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  23. We've been through all our bird books and still keep coming back to the immature Cooper's Hawk. The tail is throwing us off, though as Cooper's have longer tails with bands across them. Immature eyes are yellow; adult turns red. Do not see a resemblance to a Merlin Falcon at all. So we're sticking to our original guess of an immature Cooper's Hawk. Please do let us know when you take the picture to the raptor place!

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  24. I love the little juncos. Have lots of them at my feeder. I think that must be grackles in my earlier bird post. Thousands of them. ~ Lynn

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  25. Oh Mary, what beautiful birds! All we have here are mocking birds that squawk and make me crazy!

    Hugs,
    Dena

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  26. I think it's a Cooper's Hawk too. We sometimes get hawks in our yard, since we feed the birds and the hawks like to eat those little birds we feed. It's kind of tough when you actually SEE a hawk attack a songbird. We don't like it, but it's Mother Nature I guess.

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  27. Love the photos of the birds Mary! Gorgeous photography! I cracked up at the Stepford wife post. xoox,cherry

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  28. oh, I'm glad you told me the name of the last bird--we have seen some of those and didn't know what they were--we see them sometimes in the summer here, but I couldn't find them in my bird book.

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  30. You have got some great pictures of those birds! Wow, you do a great job :)
    Have fun !!
    Stephanie

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  31. Fabulous bird pics.
    Looks like Spring may be on the way.
    Alison

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  32. Hello from Toronto,

    You have such a lovely blog! I also have a falcon who visits everyday, I love birds.

    Warm regards,

    Gabriela

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  33. My hobby is birds photography and I love your bird photos.

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