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COOPER'S HAWK
NEST WITH YOUNG AND PARENT BIRD
BRINGING LIZARDS TO THE NEST.
This page created 07/06/99
Photos taken on 07/04/99
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You may have to study this photo a bit to under stand just what is going on. About center at approx. 11 O'clock you should be able to see the tail of a bird. This is one of the parent birds bringing a very large lizard to the nest. The reason I wanted to show this photo is because, when ever the parent bird flew to the nest, it sort of just crashed into the middle of it, right on top of the young. It was a free-for-all when this happened. Birds went every where, almost getting knocked right out of the nest. If you look closely, you can see the parent bird ( center ) is straddled one of the young as it hits the nest with the lizard in its beak.
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As soon as the parent bird flew in with the lizard it was gone again. It was like it never really stop flying. The largest bird in the nest grabbed the lizard and began to rip it a part. It really tried to swallow it whole at first but just couldn't get the job done. The other birds didn't try to grab the the lizard or bother the bird eating it. They all just stood a round and watched. In the image below I have inserted a red arrow pointing out the lizard the bird is eating.
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At one time it had all but the tail in its mouth or beak. Then all of the sudden it all came back out, and it started to rip it a part once again. Red arrow is pointing to the lizard.
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Once again the center bird eating the lizard. The bird in the back ground left is also eating a lizard. In the below photo I have put a red arrow pointing to the lizard.
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Here's the way the routine worked during the 2 hours I watched the birds. This bird would stand on the edge of the nest and call and call with a very high pitch sound. In about 30 minutes one of the parent birds would fly in with food. One time it was a Black-headed Grosbeak. While I was setting up my equipment, it looked like they were ripping a part a bright red bird, possibly a male Hepatic Tanager.
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After all of the calling was done, they all just stood around waiting for mom or pop to bring more food
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Can you see all four birds?
I know that looking at these photos is not as good as being where I was photographing them. I would have stayed longer to watch, however my legs and arms were going to sleep because of the cramped position I had to be in. My self, the camera & tripod were all perched on a very small rock over hanging a cliff at the same heigh as the bird's nest. Approximately 75 feet up. It was lucky for me there was a tree growing by the rock so I could hang on to it so I wouldn't slip over the edge. Thank you for taking the time to look at these images of the Cooper's Hawk young.
I might also add that while exploring through Tom's apple orchard I was able to locate 6 Hutton's Vireo nest. Al had 3 young in them. As soon as I get my slides back, I will put them on here also. I also located 8 Black-chinned
hummingbirds on nest with 2 eggs in each one, and one building a nest.
Tom Beatty's Miller Canyon Bed & Breakfast is where the birds are!
Remember to leave something in the sugar fund can. It takes a lot of sugar to keep these hummers coming back to the feeders so you the bird watchers will have a place to come and view them. Take a good look a round and see what all he has done just so you can see the birds.
Back to the first screen of Beatty's Guest Ranch
Stop No. 29 on the Southeastern Arizona Birding Trail
For more info visit www.seazbirding.com
Cheers, from Tom Beatty Sr.
Huachuca's Miller Canyon of Southeast Arizona
"The Hummingbird Place" with 3 Hummingbird Viewing Sites: