Cooper's Hawks at River Legacy

[camcar]

A pair of Cooper's Hawks nested outside of the Science Center and have successfully raised three little ones. Now the little ones have fledged but are still following their parents around, not quite able to hunt for themselves. I was finally able to take pictures of the hawks without 12 screaming kids with me and it turned out well. I was able to see one of the juvenile hawks eat a small bird that might have once been a white-eyed vireo.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3711535458_e8f89baa67.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3711503760_7e319e485f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3711494506_03e419cf10.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2443/3711481554_2dd87f26db.jpg

All taken with a Nikon D80 and 300mm nikkor 2.8 manual focus, some with a 2x teleconverter.

Thanks,
Cameron

[Y Cymry]

Good find (and captures) Cameron,

It must have been one of these young birds that I watched at the south east corner of the drying beds last weekend as he made fumbling, inexpert attempts to catch a swallow.

Cyn

[Elaine]

What a gorgeous young Cooper's, and your captures really show him off nicely, Cameron. Lovely work; thanks for sharing these.

[Charley]

Cameron, that head-on shot with the flesh in it's beak, just screams "RAPTOR". If I were a small bird, I'd be looking for a place to hide.
Nice shots.

Charley

[Administrator]

Check out some of the images of the chicks at the River Legacy Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arlington-TX/River-Legacy-Parks/137461855088?ref=ts#/album.php?aid=276735&id=137461855088

They were taken last week by one of the staff members.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs197.snc1/6656_234905330088_137461855088_7585696_3154793_n.j pg

[camcar]

Thank you all for your wonderful comments. It's funny that the small birds of the area still haven't figured out that the hawks are dangerous. I often see dove and blue jays jumping around in the trees below the hawks in the morning and when I come out in the afternoon there are blue or gray feathers everywhere. Must be the Cooper's excellent camouflage in the tops of the trees.

Thanks,
Cameron