Last week, we had a Cooper's Hawk and a Gray Squirrel sitting within about
five feet of each other on the railing of our backyard deck. The squirrel
was munching on some bits of food and seemed to be keeping an eye on the
hawk, but did not appear especially nervous. The hawk watched the squirrel
in what I can only describe as a desultory manner. (Yes, my descriptions of
both animals' behavior are highly anthropomorphic!) What does seem obvious
is that the squirrel did not feel very threatened by the presence of the
hawk. I should note that the hawk appeared by size to be a female; pretty
big for a Cooper's.

There really was no significant interaction; the squirrel kept eating, the
hawk looked around, and within a few minutes they went their separate ways.

Bill Heck


> > On another note, I saw the most interesting thing that day down the
> street
> > from my house:  A Cooper's Hawk had grabbed a Gray Squirrel and had it
> > pinned to the ground.   I was able to stop and watch this epic
>  struggle.  The
> > hawk was not tearing at the squirrel -- just holding it down  while it
> > fought back.  Finally the hawk tried to lift off with it and  couldn't
> -- so
> > dropped back down.  After about another minute of looking  around, the
> hawk
> > squawked and flew off without the squirrel.  At that  instant, a Red
> Tail hit
> > the squirrel (I didn't see it until it hit) and rolled  it -- but didn't
> grab
> > it.  The squirrel, no doubt wondering if this day  could get any worse,
> sort
> > of ran/staggered to some bushes by this house and went  up into them.
> > Meanwhile after the missed hit, the Red Tail perched in a  Pin Oak about
> 20 feet
> > from me and the Cooper's flew back into a Crabapple about  75 feet away,
> > with both watching the bushes.  After about 10 more minutes  of them
> watching,
> > the Red Tail flew off and then I drove off.   Never  saw a Coopers try to
> > grab a full grown Gray Squirrel before -- anyone seen  this?  I know they
> > take Chipmunks and probably those small Red Squirrels,  but a full grown
> Gray?
> >
> > Paul Graham
> > Worthington
> >
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>
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> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
>
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--
Bill Heck

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

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