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Hawk vs. Crow III
Image by liquidnight
There was quite a lot of avian drama in the neighbourhood yesterday. This handsome young Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) showed up, which thoroughly upset the neighbourhood crows. It repeatedly flew down into the backyard. One time it seemed to be going after sparrows deep inside the rhododendron, while other times it appeared to be seeking a quiet place to perch for a moment. This wasn't the first time we've seen one of these beautiful raptors in the yard. In fact I think this is the fourth time in just under a year. But this was the first time that it stuck around for so long.
For hours yesterday the crows were in an uproar about its presence. The strangest part was that, for as often as the hawk shot out of a tree being pursued by angry crows, there were as many moments when a single crow would burst out of a tree closely pursued by the hawk, while the rest of the crows noisily followed the pair. It was amazing to watch.
This dramatic back and forth went on right outside our house for much of the morning and well into the afternoon. Every time we thought the harried hawk had finally given up and moved on, it would all start back up again. The crows were relentless, so I think eventually it was the Cooper's Hawk that gave up and departed.
