Friday, February 22, 2008

More Cooper's pics!

Here are a couple more photos from yesterday's raptor excitement at work. He first landed at my pal Niki's window; the light wasn't good on that side of the building, but I managed to get a decent shot of him through the window:

Look at how far around he can turn his head! I kept hoping he would turn his body around so I could see his front, but he didn't. Right after I took this pic, I pulled my camera down from my face (I always look through the little image thingie rather than the big LCD screen, because my old eyes can't focus on that tiny screen). Just at that moment, he lifted his tail and pooped! I missed it! I was so bummed.

So after about ten minutes, he flew to a spot a hundred or so yards away--right near the parking lot. I missed this, as there were about a million cubicles in the way, but he stayed low to the ground, maybe three or four feet high.

Here's the wide view of his landing spot:

He's there in the center. Cars were driving by every few minutes, and people were walking on that sidewalk, but he stayed in this spot for at least twenty minutes. This is where I got the bulk of my photos. Look, he blinked!


And here, I think he blinked his nictating membrane thingie:

Cool!

I waited and waited, hoping he would stretch his wings and take flight so I could get pictures of that, but he just kinda hung out there. Finally, I had to get back to work, so I left. I went back about five minutes later, though, and OF COURSE he had gone and I had missed it.

14 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Awesome pictures. It looks like he's fluffed up, just chillin', soaking up the sun!

Mary said...

He knew you wanted a cool pic of him in flight. That's why he stayed still. damned birds.

It's such a shame to miss something so wonderful and mind-boggling. When a Cooper's Hawk poops.

Maybe next time :o) LOL!

Anonymous said...

I have hawk envy!

Susan Gets Native said...

Coop Poop is highly overrated.
:)

The Bunns said...

Brrrrrrrrrrr.

Keep that boy well clear of us!

Joe said...

Fantastic pictures! I saw some big-ass hawk while I was running yesterday and couldn't get a clear enough look to see what it was--it wasn't a red-tailed hawk, but it was bigger than a kestrel.

Again, those pictures are great. There's something really cool about seeing a raptor in our everyday world.

Susan said...

Great pics!

Earl Cootie said...

Wow. Really, really cool photos. I never have my camera with me when the birds perform (in an intimate cabaret space).

dguzman said...

Lynne, either that or trying to digest his meal!

Mary, he was cooperative! If only he'd pooped again.

Dcup, He could go down and eat a few of your starlings!

Susan--You would know all about raptor poo!

Bunns--don't worry--your parents will keep you safe!

Bubs--you really know your raptors! And that's the cool thing--seeing him in a non-nature space was surreal.

Susan--thanks!

Earl--I couldn't hear the gentle jazzy tinkling of the piano music, but he did do a little dance.

Mel said...

Amazing pictures!
He looks like if he was waiting for you to photograph him!

KGMom said...

Great shots. Especially the blinking one.

Fran said...

that is so very, very cool!!

Carolyn H said...

Very cool photos. when I was in an office with a window, I used to see a redtail a few times a week, but a Cooper's that close is far better! lucky you!

Carolyn H.
http://roundtoprumings.blogspot.com

Cup said...

Very cool! Amazing shots.