Urban Dweller

Last summer a family of hawks took up residence in my son's back yard. As we gazed up into the huge oak tree, we saw 6 eyes gazing back. I saw a juvenile and two adult Coopers hawks. Above them we could see a huge nest with fuzzy feathers peeking out all around. One adult always stayed behind to protect the yearling, while the other prowled for food. I could easily get close enough to photograph the adults, but when the baby tried to fly and fell to a nearby bush, the dad sprang into action. He swooped down between myself and the chick, and his defensive posturing made me retreat quickly. It's easy to forget that these curious and often comical birds are really vicious predators similar to an eagle. We were both happy and sad when they flew away at summer’s end. But I knew they would return, and indeed they have.