Fall colors

  

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) in Cotati on 26 November 2025.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Next to the nest

  

We've come across a couple of different Cooper's Hawks (Astur cooperii) at their nests recently.  This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago in Glen Ellen.  After taking off, the hawk flew up to a large nest at the top of a dense oak tree.  [You can click on the photo for a larger version.]

Feather detail and more

  

Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) feeding while perched on a tree branch in Cotati on 18 March 2025.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

In addition to feeding on prey, this bird happened to be quite vocal as we were walking by.  The calls were not the more-often-heard cak-cak-cak variety, but instead what are sometimes described as whaaa calls, more often attributed to females.

If you're interested, I recorded a very short audio clip for the record -- see below.  [If you can't see the video player in the e-mail, click on the title of the post above to find it on the NHBH web page.]  The lighting isn't the best, but at the time I was more focused on trying to record the sound.  You might need to turn up your volume a little bit.

Spring is on the way!

Ready for takeoff

  

In late December I helped out with the Western Sonoma County Christmas Bird Count.  Here's a male Northern Harrier photo from that day.

Watching and waiting

  

A young Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) in Bodega Bay on 21 October 2024.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

Focused

  

Wow!  This weekend, Eric looked out the back door and noticed this adult Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) sitting on a post in the garden.

The hawk spent quite a bit of time hunting...landing on tomato cages and walking among the plants.  We're assuming it was focused on finding a songbird.  Impressive to see it up close and to watch its behavior!

Here's another view:

 

 

This Cooper's Hawk is on the smaller side, so likely a male.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

Opportunity

  

A beautiful male Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) turning to search for possible prey below.  Photographed on Bodega Head on 31 December 2023.  [You can click on the image for a larger and sharper version.]

Following the feathers

 

 

From back on 19 November 2023, but here's a view of a young Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) with some nice feather details!  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

Taking off

 

 

A young Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) taking off after hunting for sparrows in a shrub, 7 October 2023.

At the top of the pine

 

 

A bit in the shadows, but a nice adult Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) across the street from our house in Cotati on 12 February 2023.  I heard the hawk calling, but this is a large pine, so it took me a while before I located it near the very top of the tree.

When harrier met vole

  

 Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) landing with prey, Bodega Head, 22 October 2022

Neighborhood watch

  

I was doing some yard work after dinner tonight (20 July 2022) and kept hearing a young Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) calling -- a high-pitched, descending wheeeer.  When I took a break, I looked around a spotted the hawk perched in a fir tree, probably a few blocks away.  The sound really carries!   

The hawk didn't come much closer, but here are a few more quick images.  I'm guessing this bird fledged from a nest somewhere nearby, but I'm not sure where.

 

 

 

 

P.S.  I didn't record the calls of this bird tonight, but if you want to hear an example of a Cooper's Hawk juvenile calling, check out this species account on Cornell's All About Birds page.

Near the top

  

As I was doing chores around the house today, I kept hearing an accipiter calling — kek, kek, kek, kek, kek, kek, kek.  It was only calling occasionally (or rarely), with long pauses in between, but every time I heard it I tried to locate the bird.  After several attempts, I finally found it perched near the top of a tall redwood tree just down the street.  It was pretty high up there, so this is one of the best photos I took.  [You can click on the image for a larger view.]

I'm not totally sure about the identification.  I'm leaning towards a Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi), perhaps a small male, but if you have thoughts about the i.d., let me know.

I like thinking about them sitting up there, among the redwood branches high above the town, surveying what's going on down below.

Down jacket

  

Early morning light on a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius).  I helped out with the Western Sonoma County Christmas Bird Count today (2 January 2022).  It was a chilly start to the day (patches of frost on Bodega Head) and this harrier's feathers were puffed up a bit.  A down jacket was a good idea this morning!

Searching

  

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), 9 April 2021

Hope is the thing

  

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) in Cotati, 6 April 2021

Kiting into the wind

  

Several days ago I posted a photo of a Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) perched in a grassland in Mendocino County.  This one was photographed "kiting" into the strong northwest winds near Dillon Beach today (13 February 2021).

In sun and fog

  

We had to do some field work in Mendocino County today (8 February 2021).  On the walk down to the study site, we passed this beautiful Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis).  In the first view (above) there was a hint of sunlight.  A little later we noticed it sitting on a fence with fog and trees in the background:

 

 

The hunter

  

I'm working on some photo organization (an endless task!), but here's a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) from 24 December 2020.

Gray on gray

 

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) with a Pacific Ocean backdrop, 28 February 2020.