My niece said that last evening he flew away. We don't know if he hit something and was stunned or what. But he is apparently OK and we are happy about that! Thanks for the ID!!

Sparky10, Yes, I have a basset, Mr. Peabody. Bassets are in the family. My brother has 2 and a cousin has 1. They will sure brighten your day! Did the blue birds return? I hear them more than see them, even though they are bright blue. Susan

I agree. with Claire They always show up here all at once, usually in November. You can tell them for sure by their couple of white tail feathers when they fly. The females are brownish.

I agree with BN. It is an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk. Although my reasoning slightly differs: the "hooded" appearance of this bird is obvious from this angle (how the dark head continues over the nape of the neck). This is a terrific way to tell the similar Cooper's and Sharp-shinned apart (but only as adults!). A Cooper's has a "capped" look (dark crown of the head and a lighter gray nape of the neck). The shape is also indicative of a Sharp-shinned (squat appearance with a small head and fat chest, lack of a neck, large eyes and small bill). The auriculars (cheeks) actually aren't a reliable way to tell Sharp-shinned from Cooper's, but it is a semi-useful way to tell male from female in both Sharp-shinned and Cooper's. I don't like to use it unless it is really obvious. Kind of iffy. In summary, this is a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It is hunting birds.