Definately a coopers hawk. I say so because of the rounded out tail, the largish head, and the fact that you say it is relatively large. The only other possible bird would be a sharp shinned hawk, but that bird can be elliminated by the above reasons. It also has quite a dark cap. Nathan

It's a male barn swallow. They're delightful birds. We had them nesting on the porch soffit when we lived on the base. They built nests balanced on planter hooks on the porch ceiling. I solved the mess problem by hanging baskets of geraniums from each hook. The chicks droppings went into the planter, fed the plants, and the porch was kept clean. You can also place a 12" square of cardboard on the area under their nest. The mess tends to cover a very small area. After they're through nesting, throw the cardboard in the trash or compost bin. This isn't the greatest photo, but it's the only one I could find quickly. The rod under the nest is a 12" hanging hook. The geraniums hang from the end of it. There were five chicks in this nest. One was camera shy. And these are the flowers that thrived directly under them.

Rouan, thanks for the ID. I think my mother-in-law told me the same thing, but to me it will be the cheeseburger bird. It must know I've been complaining about it for years and went away as I haven't heard it yet this spring. It's replacement is a bird that sounds like a slow machine gun. eh..eh..eh..eh..eh This site is nice for listening to bird songs, though it may be limited to birds of North America. It isn't terribly helpful if you don't know what the bird is as you are limited to guessing. My son and I did ID the "zebra" bird at our feeder which turned out to be a black & white warbler. Here is a link that might be useful: Bird guide

I'm not knowledgable, but it reminds me of an Orrefors vase I got in Sweden, where the Orrefors craftsmen will take vases that have an imperfection and etch a design to eliminate, incorporate, or otherwise hide the flaw. I'm sure I bought mine at the factory store, but it does not say Orrefors on the bottom. Yours is simply lovely, I'm sure you enjoy it!