Neighborhood Watch Hawk

Here is our neighborhood's resident Cooper's hawk perched in a tree two doors from us. Mr. Nonchalant, who was unconcerned about cars and people staring at it in disbelief. I had time to get dressed (it was before breakfast), change lenses and head for the sidewalk.

He seemed a bit concerned when I started clicking away. The heavy overcast and dark shadows forced me to bump up the ISO too much, but I had to pay the price to get a shot. He finally spooked and flew to the middle of the street, landing on the light pole. Then, off he flew across the railroad tracks on my second take (the first was too blurry).




This is the same hawk that I've taken pictures of in my own backyard pine tree and on the main road north of us where he was perching on another light pole at sunset. Amazing that the noise of the trains screaming through, the traffic, the fire station and the civilian hubbub don't scare him off. Seems that it would be a much simpler and calmer life out in the boonies.

Apparently, there are a lot more mice, rats, and edible critters in this neck of the woods.