Friend or Foe?

Sipping on some hot tea trying to get warm as I sit at my dining table enjoying the heat radiating from my small space heater. I had already walked through the garden and finished watering some potted plants and decided today was the day I needed to plant some of the sweet pea seeds that I purchased at Lowe's. Movement by a small bird flying to my patio sparked my interest. It quickly walked under the iron patio chair located on the other side of my fountain. I got my camera out to grab a shot just in case it was something unusual. Focusing my camera through the closed sliding glass door, I guessed that it must be some type of sparrow because the warblers would be in the planters and quickly landing on the fountain. Steadying my camera, I waited for the small bird to reappear from under the iron chair and past all the plants that were blocking my view . What happened next was really unusual. As my camera was focused on the area where I believed the little bird would reappear, there was a sudden explosion of feathers from all parts of my yard. The little bird flew off in a panic and at the same time a Cooper's Hawk landed on the iron chair where my camera was pointed! 

Now a Cooper's Hawk was perched on the iron chair and I was trying to get a good focus through my camera lens before I start clicking away. Here are some shots of the beautiful Cooper's Hawk that came hunting after my little sparrow subject!

I stayed as still as possible. My elbows resting on the dinning table trying to steady the camera as I clicked away. 

 

She is busy looking for the small bird that was on the ground. 

The light shining on the glass door keeps this hawk from seeing me sitting at the table. 

She is looking but I'm staying very, very still and hide behind the camera and lens. No eyes looking back at her. Only one dark 400mm lens!

Still looking for the small bird that flew off.

 

See the dark dots on her iris? I have heard that this type of marking in the eye is used to identify an individual bird just like fingerprints do for us. Hopefully I will be able to ID this Cooper's Hawk in the future if it returns.

Close-up.

Really taking a good look at her surroundings.

No marks on this eye.

Close-up.

The white bowl from one of the solar fountains reflects in her eye.

Beautiful profile.

 

Close-up.

She turns and flies off. I thought that she was gone but looking through my kitchen window, I spot her looking in.

I didn't get up. I just shifted the angle of my camera towards my kitchen window. The blurry spots in this photo is my orchids on the windowsill.

Still searching for prey.

Talons ready.

She hears a crow overhead.

This is a classic outline of a Cooper's Hawk. Kind of a poochy tummy.

She flies again and lands on my solar "owl fountain",  the one near my bird feeder . I have to stand to get a shot of her by focusing my lens between a tiny opening of the plumeria tree trunk and a lemon tree. The camera grabs the subject!  I love, love my camera!

LOL, She is really checking out the owl.

She appears to be really studying the cute little ceramic owl.

It's as though the hawk is thinking to herself... "Friend or Foe?"  LOL, the cute owl is just going to sit there. Now I am giggling and a Rolling Stones song comes to mind... " Waiting on a friend".    LOL, what a precious moment as I click away at this sweet encounter.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!