Cooper's Hawk right down the Block

   I was driving home, coming down my own street and there was a puddle of water where a neighbor had been watering his thirsty lawn. As I approached, I spotted a juvenile Cooper's Hawk (Accipter cooperii) standing in the middle of puddle, drinking fresh water.

Cooper's Hawk

   This magnificent bird is a medium sized hawk with gray wings. This one had a slight orange tinge to its belly. We see them often in the countryside, but this is the first one I have seen inside metropolitan Memphis.

   We have a small wading pool in the backyard for the dog to stay cool in the summertime. I wonder... from the sky, this little Coopers Hawk could easily have seen the reflection of light off the water. He is certainly welcome at our house anytime.

Robert

photos courtesy of dlink