Immature Cooper's

Sandy,
sorry for the road closure but you got a very nice capture anyway. Beautiful light, pose and perch. I like the intense stare of the bird too.

A fine capture
Well done.

Geoff.

Sandy,

I like the pose, the sky background and the interesting texture and character of the branch this hawk is perched on.

I don't think the ID is correct though, a Swainson's wing tips would reach nearly to the end of the tail and the head would be light than this bird's. The chest spots on a juvenile Swainson's Hawk are also more blotchy than this bird. I would also expect to see the tail far more weakly banded for a Swainson's. Immature Sharp-shinned perhaps?

Nice pose Sandy ! This is a young Cooper's Hawk. Check out those chunky legs compared to a Sharp-shinned. The long-banded tail is a giveaway too for an accipiter and not a buteo.

Sandy, I believe Nick is correct, I was paying attention to the ways this hawk didn't look like a Swainson's Hawk juvenile and didn't look at the legs of your bird, they are chunky.

thanks for the correction!
Sandy r

No idea on the ID, but the image is beautiful. I might go for a bit more space at the sides and less up top, but that's personal preference.

I like this Sandy - something about the unusual comp (accomodating the interesting vertical perch and the horizontal pose of the bird) and the slightly swooping curve of the birds posture appeals to me. I also like the color changes in the background.

I understand your ARGH! One of my prime shooting refuges has been closed during the summer months for two years now due to road construction. Double ARGH!

Nice exposure! Eye contact really stands out!!

Pose, light and clouds make this one for me.

Too bad about the road but this is a nice shot as is, good look the hawk is giving.