Some days, one bird is enough

It turned out that I aimed my camera at only one bird today, and it happened early in my walk at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. This Cooper’s hawk surprised me when I spotted it roughly 100 feet ahead of me.

The sky was overcast and the sun was muted, but I was able to note the bird’s telltale banded tail. I took a few shots, hoping that I caught a time when the bird — its back to me — turned its head.

I was fortunate to catch moments when it looked side to side. I chanced a few steps to get closer, and the bird few up the trail, eventually to be spooked by a woman coming toward it from the opposite direction.

While red-tailed hawks are the most common at the Pole Farm and in the surrounding area, Cooper’s hawks also appear somewhat regularly. I’ve taken shots of them perched in tree branches. This was the first time I spotted one on the ground and was able to approach fairly close. I’m happy with the results. 🦅