Cooper's

Cooper's Hawk Chronicles (pics here)

March 30, 2011: First sighting of Cooper's hawks, building a nest together, near Rivard. Pictures of female eating and male keeping watch, later male alone.
March 31, 2011: Female and male together, building nest in same location.
April 1, 2011: Both Cooper's in neighborhood still close to Rivard.
April 3, 2011: Saw both Cooper's in neighborhood, but they are not using the first nest..
April 7, 2011: See only the female sitting a nest about a block east of first nest. (This nest they continued to occupy successfully.)
April 8, 2011: Female Cooper's still on the nest. Do not see male.
April 10, 2011: Female Cooper's still on the nest. Do not see male.
April 29, 2011: Female Cooper's still on he nest. Do not see male.
April 30, 2011: Female Cooper's on nest morning and afternoon.
May 2, 2011: Female Cooper's sitting the nest.
May 6, 2011: Female sitting on nest, seems to be eating, and male is on nest too. Have time to stay and observe this morning and take pictures. Pictures of female sitting upright in nest and lower part of breast suspicious looking. Later after she nestles back into nest, she nuzzles the breast of the breast of the male.He is quite watchful of us, and takes off towards us, then to east through the trees - lucky picture of Cooper's in flight.
May 7, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest.
May 8, 2011: Located a Cooper's nest on the WSU campus. I could not document it consistently because sycamore tree habitat decreased visibility. But a picture of this nest, and of the male nearby with dinner, is included in pictures. Late June caught a glimpse of 1 chick getting fledge feathers.
May 9, 2009: Both Cooper's at the nest. Female is to side of nest and brood patch seems clearly visible.
May 10, 2011: Both Cooper's at nest. My eBird notes wrote: "female sitting nest and male bringing food. heavy lightning & thunder, with rain, at 6:30 am. Usual foot traffic under nest - dog walkers, kids going to school, people leaving for work.Hawks seem unperturbed.
May 12, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest.
May 13, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest.
May 14, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest.
May 17, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest.
May 21, 2011: Both Cooper's at tne nest.
May 22, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest.
June 11, 2011: Both Cooper's at the nest and we catch a glimpse of a chick in white downy feathers.
June 13, 2011: Female staying at nest, but not sitting deep in the nest. After waiting quite a while, get a good picture of the baby, male's usual perch obvious.
June 16, 2011: Female at the nest, male coming and going, see two chicks today. Good pictures of mom feeding chicks.
June 18, 2011: See female and 4 chicks. My eBird memo wrote: "mom hunting now and away from nest for extended period, dad a bit further afield about 2 blocks north not close to nest, one chick is further along toward fledgeling molt than other 2."
June 24, 2011: Female feeding 4 chicks. Two are definitely darker. Several good pics of front and backs and flapping activity.
June 26, 2011: Female and 4 chicks. I wrote in eBird: "Saw 4 chicks for first time 6-26, exercising wings; Mom hunting and chased off peregrine, stays pretty close to nest." (Peregrine seen for 1st time in neighborhood. Usually to west over I-375 toward BlueCross and Greektown Hotel, or in open sky circa I-375/Gratiot/I-75 spaghetti interchanges.)
June 27, 2011: 2 chick in nest and 2 chicks ventured 10-15 ft away in tree.
June 28, 2011: 2 chicks down in nest, 2 on edge. Mom gone more than present. eBird note: "Chicks are getting adventurous and 2 can get to adjacent trees and back, 3rd goes well out into canopy, 4th stays at nest. Behavior seems unchanged by considerable fireworks activity - cars, people, boom-boxes, and the fireworks last night. It's been almost 60 days since she started sitting nest, so expect actually fly soon."
June 29, 20: Mom and 4 chicks. eBird note: "2 chicks hop-flap into adjacent trees, a few 15-20 feet flights; 2 chicks walking near nest; all 4 spending most of their time out of nest; only Mom is here and spends time hunting."
June 30, 2011: Mom and 4 chicks. eBird note: "all 4 chicks moving around upper reaches of tree, 1 returned to nest via 20-25 foot flight when Mom brought breakfast, saw Mom hawking in three locations within 1/8 mile of nest. Have not seen Dad in 3 weeks. Mom is mostly not at nest, but returns with food."
July 1, 2011: All 6 Cooper's near nest. eBird note: "Dad sitting near nest. Mom hunting in neighborhood. 4 chicks adventuring into tree across the street from nest tree. Getting harder to spot as they wander further away. Have not seen flying, except for 10-15 foot fluttering back into nest or jumping from branch to branch. Smaller birds giving nest area a wider berth." (Stayed in town for holiday weekend to watch hawks!)
July 2, 2011: All 6 Cooper's near nest. eBird note: "Dad sitting near nest. Mom hunting in neighborhood. 4 chicks adventuring into tree across the street from nest tree. Getting harder to spot as they wander further away. Have not seen flying, except for 10-15 foot fluttering back into nest or jumping from branch to branch. Smaller birds giving nest area a wider berth." Record hot day. Ornithology prof visiting neighborhood and very excited to see nest and success. Said that the chicks were laying low and had beaks open to cool off.
July 3, 2011: Clearly "hawk fever" has taken hold in the neighborhood, as we are always joined and asked to point out hawks. eBird note: After ferocious storms last night (7-2-10 9-10:30 pm), Mom hawking about 60 feet from nest, 4 chicks in the treetops away from nest tree. Mom brought mid-sized bird, 2 chicks flew into nest, 1 came in time, 4th watched from 30 ft away. Later, noon-1 pm, 4 chicks hanging out in trees, then at 5pm, all 4 chicks - 2 playing "find Waldo" lying on limbs, 2 standing up." Have picture of three chicks lounging across tree limb.
July 4, 2011: All 6 Cooper's hawks present. eBird note: Mom 300 yds W of nest on Rivard, dad overflew, 3 chicks roosting in tree 100 ft SSE of nest tree, 4th flew in, then across, then away. NOON: Mom in roost 100 ft SSE of nest tree, no chicks in sight. Mom flew west to Rivard, and lost her." Second entry later in the evening: "Mom watching from the side, near nest tree. 3 fledglings moving among trees to nest and back to trees, and to trees in median. Fledgling hawks 'chip' as they fly."
July 5, 2011: In morning female Cooper's is here watching from a perch south of nest. Non chicks in sight. About 4 pm, I wrote: "Mom watching. 3 fledglings in spruce about 75 ft from nest tree. One of fledglings preens, then lies flat on top of spruce limb." At about 7pm, I wrote: "Mom about 50 ft south of nest tree watching. 2 fledgling 50 ft south of mom and higher. One of fledglings tangled with adult black squirrel, and hawk retreated."
July 6, 2011: eBird note: "Mom and 4 fledglings eating in nest. Fledglings now giving "keer" call when they fly. All five flew 60-100 ft SSE to roost in spruce or adjacent locust. Have not seen dad in a few day."
July 7, 2011: Mom and 3 chicks present. eBird note: "1 chick at nest, calling; 2nd chick joined; 3rd landed nearby - after first gave "keer" call for 5-10 sec. Mom came close to chicks, then left to hunt along Rivard (saw her there off and on until 10AM)."
July 8, 2011: Mom and 3 chicks relatively close to the nest. eBird note: "Mom watching out 40 ft from nest tree, 3 fledglings across the street. From noon to 1, F-18 Navy fighter jet doing acrobatics along the river - we were in the flyout zone and got low-level buzzed about a dozen times." Mosquitoes now too fierce for me to stay out observing.
July 11, 2011: Only 2 fledglings near nest this mornings. eBird: "Two fledglings hawking and flew ahead giving "keer" call as I approached to across street. Full flight capacity, indistinguishable from adult flight now. Both flew back to nest area. Then, one left and came back with what looked to be a squirrel. Landed in nest, making "chuffing" call typical of Cooper's, forcing other fledgling out by spreading wings and tail, and proceeded to eat. Second fledgling moved away to nearby limb."
July 13, 2011: I saw an adult Cooper's hawk along Lafayette near MLK High School, about 8 in the evening, but none in the neighborhood.
July 14, 2011: Have not seen or heard any Cooper's hawks since Monday morning, but there was a tree full of Cedar Waxwings on Lafayette in the median, eating little red berries from an ornamental crab-apple or such.