What Was That: Hawk or Falcon?

Sharp-shinned hawk 12-9-08 by Kathie Brown

It is Wednesday afternoon and I am sitting outside in the sun on the patio. I’ve been blogging and birding for days on end and I need a break. The warm sunlight falls across my cheek and I close my eyes and melt into the seat. Ahh, this is what I need!

In the mesquite tree behind me a couple of Lesser Goldfinches cheep. The tiny leaves and stems of the native Velvet Mesquite tree have all but fallen off. The naked branches offer little in the way of cover for the birds now. Still, they come to the thistle seed feeder hanging from a sturdy branch and I love to see them there, thick as feathers. I turn to see a female house finch fly in. She lands on a top branch trying to decide if it’s safe, if I am safe. I settle back down into the chair as a soft breeze caresses my face.

Suddenly there is an explosion of wings behind me. I turn just in time to see a small dark bird flying through the middle of the mesquite tree’s maze of branches. The tiny birds scatter in all direction. The hawk or falcon flies straight towards me, tail tilting and turning like a rudder in the air. It flies less than two feet over my head in dashing and darting flight in pursuit of prey.
I try to gather my wits about me and realize what I am seeing. This bird is small, swift and dark. Its tail seems shorter than the hawks I usually see. My mind races…could it be a Merlin? One time before I thought I had seen a Merlin here, but this is such open country, I do not expect them. I don’t even know what field marks to look for to distinguish them from a Sharpie. I only know it’s not a Cooper’s Hawk. This bird is about the size of a Mourning Dove.

I watch as the small falcon flies swiftly over the yards and road only to disappear beyond a rooftop. I do not have my binoculars outside with me and to go in the house even a couple of steps would be to miss seeing what I am seeing. I wait to be sure the bird will not circle around again, and then I relax and breathe. I did not know I was holding my breath. My heart is pounding and I feel the adrenalin coursing through my veins. It is as if I was part of the hunt, though I don’t know who I was rooting for. It was a magnificent sight to see, but I love my little yellow goldfinches and I’m not sure I want to see one end up as dinner right before my eyes. I wish there was a way to serve up House Sparrows only, but even this would not be fair. Nature has its own ways and I am part of that also.

I finally go inside and pull out my bird guides and here is what I learned today, so I will be prepared for the next time. Merlins are small dark falcons with pointed wings. A Sharp-shinned hawk has rounded wings. Merlins have a whisker mark that runs down the side of their face, just like a kestrel does. They have vertical striping on their breast, whether they are mature or immature, but the males are blue-gray above and the females and immature brown. There is also a black northwestern variety and a pale prairie form. A Merlin has a long, dark tail with whitish bands and according to the range maps, this is its winter territory. I will have to pay more attention next time a small hawk flies by and make sure it is not a falcon instead. From all I have read, I believe the possibility is strong that this is what I saw today, but until I am sure, I will not add the Merlin to the Sycamore Canyon Bird List or my Big January count.

I welcome anyone's opinion and input on the identity of this little raptor.

(I have no pictures of a Merlin. The sharp-shinned photo is of a bird that showed up here last December and is shown for contrast only. It was taken using the Nikon D80 with the 70-300mm lens set in sports mode.)

Sunsets, Shopping, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sunday Sunset 12-7-08 by Kathiesbirds

Mom arrived by train late Friday evening and we drove to Flagstaff to get her. It was a 9 hour round trip and we didn't arrive home until almost 3 a.m. on Saturday. Of course we all slept late, but after lunch we drove to Rio Rico and Tubac on Saturday afternoon. We knew our time together was short and we had to make the most of every minute. On Sunday we relaxed at home and while Gus watched football Mom and I took an evening walk where the desert sky put on a spectacular display for us.

Blushing sky over Elephant head by kathie 12-7-08

The fire in the sky turned to a soft blush over the western desert where Elephant Head Mountain at the southern end of the Santa Ritas is barely visible on the horizon. Back at home Gus grilled T-bones for us, while I light a fire in the free-standing fireplace Gus bought for me. We end our evening with full bellies and our feet propped up by the fire's warmth as we watch the winter starlight shine.

On Monday Mom and I go out to breakfast before we start our day of Christmas shopping. We shop for new dresses for Mom, then Christmas presents for the grand-children and great-grandchildren. We need to get them wrapped and sent off while she is still here. Towards the end of the day as our feet and spirits tired, Mom bought a Christmas present for Gus and I: our first Artificial Christmas Tree. I have resisted getting a fake tree for years. I am a purist, always wanting the real thing with it's lopsided evergreen shape and the fresh scent of pine or spruce. I always love the experience of searching for the perfect tree, but I have finally conceded, realizing that I don't have to water a fake tree, or worry about the tree drying out. There will be no shedding needles this year, and no worry about where to dispose of the tree. We brought the impostor home and Gus assembled its perfect green branches. He stands it in the corner of the living room and plugs it in. I get out the tree skirt and the new Christmas angel I bought two years ago. The rest of the decorating can wait until the next day, but I want to see the tree with these simple adornments tonight. The skirt is easy enough, but the angel proves to be a problem.

Her china head and arms are heavier than the skirt with the plastic cone inside. When I place the angel on the top stem of the fake tree it folds over and she tumbles off. Discussion about how to solve the problem flies about the room and we try various ideas, including sticking one of Mom's knitting needles down inside the thin metal tube of the tree and taping it up to support the angel, but that is just the problem. The knitting needle is straight. What I need is something tapered, thin at the bottom and wider towards the top. Short enough to sink in and rigid enough to hold her up. As usual, I went searching for ideas and stumbled on a brilliant solution. I grab a bunch of old artist's brushes from my closet and bring them to the living room. A couple of tries produces a brush of just the right length and taper to work. My Christmas angel is now supported on top of my Christmas tree with a paintbrush up her skirt! She doesn't seem to mind as she smiles her benevolent china smile at all who enter.

Sharp-Shinned Hawk in Sycamore Canyon 12-9-08

So on Tuesday morning we decorate the tree and wrap Christmas presents with the strains of Christmas music playing on my old boom box. As we busy ourselves with holiday preparations a small hawk flies in and lands on the block wall outside my bedroom window. After pointing it out to Mom, I grab my camera and watch and photographed this Sharp-shinned hawk for over 20 minutes. Though the coloring is the same as the Cooper's Hawk who usually hunts around my feeders, this raptor is much smaller with a shorter neck and tail and a more hooded look to its head. The Cooper's has a more capped appearance. Still, there is an overlap of in size between these two species and a large female Sharpie and a small male Cooper's can appear very similar. Accipiters are one of the hardest bird ID's to make.

The amazing thing to me is that while the birds at my feeders initially all flew off, they quickly returned to the mesquite tree on the opposite side of the yard. Then, in what I considered to be an act of brazenness, a little Lesser Goldfinch flew over to the Palo Verde tree right next to the hawk!

Sharpie on the lookout 12-9-08

Though the hawk continued to look around, it never attacked the birds in the mesquite tree. It stood in the sun on the block wall for over 45 minutes...

Wary Gila woodpecker in Mesquite tree 12-9-08

...while this sweet-faced Gila Woodpecker watched warily from the mesquite tree. It almost looks like it is trying to hide behind the thin branches.

Hawk eyes 12-9-08 by Kathiesbirds

Still the Sharpie gazes away from the birds in my yard and faces the warmth of the afternoon sun while it scans my neighbor's yard instead. After shooting almost 100 photos of the hawk, first through the glass, and then slowly sliding the door open to capture a few shots unobstructed, I finally decide to get back to work. Though I glance out the window every few minutes I don't see when it finally flies off and the birds go back to their relaxed and noisy feeding once again.

Photographer's Notes: All of today's photography is by Kathie with the Nikon D80.

• Winter Sunset-Focal length 50mm; 1/100 sec - F/5
• Blushing Sky-Focal length 70 mm; 1/15 sec - F/4.5
• Sharp-shinned hawk-Focal length 300mm; 1/500 sec - F/5.6
• Lesser Goldfinch in Palo Verde-Focal length 300mm; 1/800 sec - F/5.6
• Sharpie on the lookout-focal length 300mm; 1/800 sec - F/5.6
• Wary Gila-Focal Length 300mm; 1/1000 sec - F/5.6
• Hawk eyes-focal length-300mm; 1/800 sec - F/5.6
  
  

Sharp-shinned Surprise

You never know when life is going to drop a gift in your lap, but that's what happened to me today. It is right after breakfast and I am busy doing laundry. The Gambel's quail are scratching merrily outside the window at the quail block. Birds are chirping and tweeting all over the place. The mourning doves are cooing their mournful songs. It's really a peaceful day, when I hear an explosion of wings, then silence. I look out the window and all my birds are gone, but I can't see why. I continue to load the wet clothes into the dryer before heading back down the hall to the rest of the house. As I pass the den window I stop in my tracks. There perched on the fence not more than 20 feet from me is a hawk! Having the camera has made me lazy in some respects. Instead of stopping to figure out what I am seeing, I grab the camera and start shooting. I know I will be able to decipher field marks later when I upload images to the computer.

The hawk stares around itself sharply. It's almost comical the way it keeps looking at the ground as if it expects some poor bird to offer itself up in sacrifice. It turns its head this-way and that looking for prey. I've put my tea kettle on to boil and now it is whistling madly at me. I snap off a few more photos before I can't stand it anymore and I walk over to the stove and turn it off. When I come back I think the hawk is gone, but walking over to the window I discover it has just moved farther down the fenceline. I'm able to get a few more photos before this immature sharp-shinned flies away. The immature is recognized by it's course vertical brown striping on the breast. An immature Cooper's has thin dark streaks. Note also the hawk's sharp shins, the bit of an eyebrow and though it is young, it still has that hooded rather than a capped apearance. Another thing to look for is a more square rather than a rounded tail. Distinguishing sharpies from Cooper's is challenging at best and I am far from an expert, but I am learning all the time. Having these photos certainly helps!