Sunday, February 10, 2008

Well, most birds are smart...


While I was taking those lovely pictures of Lucy yesterday, Jeff was bringing in a Cooper's hawk. He had to go trap and remove this bird from a warehouse nearby. He saw that it was banded, and when he checked the number, he found out that he had trapped and removed this same bird, from the same building, in the same corner of the building last year.
Warehouse Coopers hawk
She had dirty feet and tail...sooty-looking.
After a bath and a few free meals, she will be released. Again.


RAPTOR and others 069
A new dessert is sweeping the nation!
It's Hawk-On-A-Stick!
(Lorelei said that it looks like the hawk is wearing a dress.)

From what Jeff says, this is a hawk that was hatched in the Spring of 2006.
The clues lie in the eyes...
Warehouse Coopers hawk close up eye
In one more year, her eyes will be totally orange. She just has a tiny bit of yellow left.
Hopefully, by the time those eyes are 100% orange, she will have learned NOT to go into buildings.

10 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Don't you suppose there must be something tastey or easy prey in that building to entice her to go in? Beautiful bird.

Susan Gets Native said...

Lynne:
Maybe some house sparrows. Coops get stuck in Home Depots and Lowes all the time because of the HOSP, but this was like a factory. Who knows. It must have been good, whatever it was.

Anonymous said...

How amazing this bird keeps on returning like this! Thank goodness for it being banded! Thanks for sharing and love your photos!

Mary said...

Hmmmm. She'll learn eventually. Reminds me of the male Bluebird that became trapped in the campus building TWICE last year.

Your photos rock, Susan :O)

Amy said...

Fascinating... [said in Mr. Spock voice]

Magnificent bird! Thanks for sharing that tidbit about the eye color. I doubt I'll ever get to look a Cooper's hawk in the eyes, but still it's good to know.

NatureWoman said...

Glad the bewds have you and Jeff! I'm sure you'll be saving it again and again.

donaldthebirder said...

Maybe she remembers the pampering and free meals? Smarter than you think ;-)

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't count on her learning not to go in buildings. Silly bird.

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Could there be some mice she was following into the warehouse? I can only imagine what's scurrying around outside an industrial area!

RuthieJ said...

If you guys bring in a raptor for rehab and it's not banded, do you always band them before release?
(she looks SO ANNOYED in that last picture--what a great bird!)