Okay, I had another birthday. My family took me to La Catrina to celebrate,
This also gives me a chance to give a better sense of the snow accumulation. Here is the Koi Pond. Some of the mammals have been drinking here but are reluctant due to the deep snow.
Here is the Koi Pond a day later. Turkeys and squirrels are now visiting it.
The water feature in the yard is back and the animals are also using it. It went dry during the drought last summer.
We have seen a hawk on multiple days. We think it is the same one. It has been harassed by the crows when it landed in our yard.
“A Cooper’s hawk is about the size of a crow, while a sharp-shinned hawk is about the size of a blue jay. However, size can be misleading because females of both species are larger than males.
Cooper’s hawk Length: 14–20 in, Male: Similar to a small crow, and Female: Similar to a large crow.
Sharp-shinned hawk
- Length: 10–14 in
- Male: Similar to a blue jay
- Female: Can be similar in size to a male Cooper’s hawk
Size differences
- Size alone isn’t a good way to tell the difference between the two hawks
- Females of both species are about one-third larger than the males
- A large female sharp-shinned hawk can come close to the size of a small male Cooper’s
Other differences
- Cooper’s hawks have a big, blocky head, while sharp-shinned hawks have a small, rounded head
- Cooper’s hawks have thicker legs, while sharp-shinned hawks have smaller legs
- Cooper’s hawks have a rounded tail, while sharp-shinned hawks have a sharp-edged tail”
This is from Google. So from the color, shape and size, Mark guesses that this is a female Cooper’s Hawk.
Meg had a visitor to one of her feeders.
It was a tough birthday and Mark needed some rest.
Fortunately I don’t have to do that for another year!
Mark, Wink and Meg