Despite all: One Cooper’s Hawk Fledgling

At last – I heard the distinctive call of a young Cooper’s Hawk and the Ka Ka Ka call of an adult. The Cooper’s Hawk nest that had been occupied for the last two years was not used this year. The woods nearby had been cleared, earth-moving and house-building followed and even though I had seen the adults in the area, they chose not to re-occupy that nest this year.

I was worried that perhaps they would not nest this year or, in starting a new nest, would be delayed in nesting. They had successfully produced three young to fledgling in the past two years. It was a rainy spring and a very hot summer – not always great conditions for raising young in open nests.

My searching and waiting revealed a single fledgling this year. No calling back and forth between young and no sibling chases when the adult turns up with food. Still, they managed to nest and produce one young to fledging. I hope that their new nest location won’t be disturbed by removal of the forest and large machines hauling away the earth.

Cooper’s Hawk male on the lookout snag in May

Cooper’s Hawk male near the bird feeder in spring

Fledgling watching me

Lone fledgling waiting for food

all writing and photos copyright Joanne Siderius 2013.