Another Accipiter with breakfast

[Oldnintheway]

I just heard an unusually loud bang on the deck door glass. There has been an irruption of Pine Siskens this year so it's been happening fairly often but this was louder. A quick inspection found this on the ground just outside. I grabbed the camera in time to pop off 2 frames and of it went. These small Accipiters can be difficult to ID but this one is easy. One of the first things I look at is size of head in relation to body, and size of eye in relation to head. These can be difficult to discern in the field. The continuing solid gray from top of head down the back as opposed to gray "cap" with a lighter neck is on of the best features for me. Tail features are very difficult to assess but this one clearly has a more squared off tail as opposed to C shaped. All of those features, and off course those spindly legs, make this a Sharp-shinned hawk. The red eyes are an easy tell that it's an adult.

You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

 

[Tadzio]

Very beautiful capture

 

[Oldnintheway]

Very beautiful capture

Thanks. Shot through the door glass in a hurry.

 

[Rassie]

Nice capture. This shows why it helps to have a camera ready at the back door all the time.

 

[Karl]

Another clue to separate Sharp-shinned from Cooper's is the forehead... Cooper's forehead blends from beak to crown and Sharp-shinned has a bump up to the crown (as in this Sharpie)

 

[Icarus]

Nice image. Lots of accipiters seem to catch on to running prey into windows, it slows them down. Beautiful little Sharp-shinned.

 

[Karl]

Nice image. Lots of accipiters seem to catch on to running prey into windows, it slows them down. Beautiful little Sharp-shinned.

I guess the Sharpie that ran a robin into one of our windows didn't get all the timing lesson because the window killed the robin and the Sharpie hit the ground semi-conscious. I picked up the Sharpie and put it into a safer place to recover... and, of course, got a frame-filling picture before it flew off.

 

[Oldnintheway]

I guess the Sharpie that ran a robin into one of our windows didn't get all the timing lesson because the window killed the robin and the Sharpie hit the ground semi-conscious. I picked up the Sharpie and put it into a safer place to recover... and, of course, got a frame-filling picture before it flew off.

I had a similar experience with a Kestrel.

 

[Icarus]

I guess the Sharpie that ran a robin into one of our windows didn't get all the timing lesson because the window killed the robin and the Sharpie hit the ground semi-conscious. I picked up the Sharpie and put it into a safer place to recover... and, of course, got a frame-filling picture before it flew off.

I am retired from Rehabbing Raptors. One time I got a Sharpie and a Robin in, both a little loopy, from a woman who put one in her bathroom and one in her bedroom until she
could get help. Both eventually flew away after a few days of R&R.

I guess the Sharpie that ran a robin into one of our windows didn't get all the timing lesson because the window killed the robin and the Sharpie hit the ground semi-conscious. I picked up the Sharpie and put it into a safer place to recover... and, of course, got a frame-filling picture before it flew off.

 

[Yezdi]

Beautiful capture....