Actually, I don't think this was a Sharp skinned hawk because it was very large - bigger than a black crow, Linda. The owl just hunts here I think. I find "leftovers" occasionally. Didn't build a nest for it since the arborist who's also a birder showed me where the box would have to go and said I'd have to clean it. I don't do 25 ft. ladders. The raptor folk told me neither the hawk nor the owl would over-hunt a territory. I just hope they don't deplete us of our chipmunks or bunnies. I'm very fond of them.

Ha. Thanks guys. It was kind of pretty as a juxtaposition. Can't complain about the weather guys on this one. They told us when it looked like full blown summer that winter was coming the next day. So, I decided to get some before shots for the after. The cold did do a number on some plants, the fruiting ones that had come out. But, on most of the blooming ones in the pics, they were set back some but will be OK. Blue Bell, the least you could have done is come up and help us close the door, we may have another shot of snow tonight. Crazy. And, uhohgardner, sharp eye. The good news is the only thing we found that had been buried under the snow once it all melted was a newspaper whose headline (would have) warned us "Blizzard on the way". Ha. All children accounted for. ;) They say we got more snow last Friday than we had in the prior three years combined.

Looking forward to that raptor page help you might get Elaine... Because I wouldn't be surprised this would be - yet again a new species thrown in here for good measure! - an immature, light phase, SWAINSON's hawk! Way back out East from its normal range! But there >hasThe one detail that leads me to this species, relying solely on the Peterson guide, is the absence of dark band on the TIP of the tail, which your excellent photos seem to reveal. In the book I see no other non-accipiter hawk (wings do seem too long for an accipiter) with barred chest and banded tail that shows this characteristic. MAXIMUM dimensions are also quite smaller than a Red-tail's. This would be a great bird finding for you to report to the specialists!

I was going to say Chicken Hawk, but I see that it's another name for Coopers Hawk. A neighbor of mine has talked about them, they nest in our mature Maples and Elms on our street. I had never actually seen one (or paid attention) until recently when he flew into my yard (I have feeders as of this year) after another bird, apparently attempting to reach the bird hidden in my new arborvitae. By the time I got to the back door (to scare him off), he was gone. My neighbor had to move his feeder, as the Hawks nest was situated just above the roofline, with a perfect view of the feeder. I have enough trees in my yard to hopefully create a safe haven for the smaller birds during the warmer months, at least when there's foliage on the trees. Interesting looking birds, and I was surprised at how large they are. My feeders haven't been touched in a couple of weeks (I'm in an urban location).