Unexpected backyard birds

[PrimeTime]

I have seen plenty of blue jays in the yard before, but never pecking a hole in my pears. I always wandered what was putting holes in them. I thought it was some kind of bug. Now i have proof......................




This next one was a surprise. I've never seen one around the house. It was enjoying itself pecking my tomato stake..................




This last one, i've seen before. I thought i was seeing things the first time he came around. All i can say is the neighborhood birds should be AFRAID...............BE VERY AFRAID!!!................................

























He is a bird hunting machine.





I'm not even shure what species it is?? I think it is a sparrow hawk, but i don't know. Can anyone identify it for me? It seems to hunt birds. The first time i saw him, he nailed a morning dove and flew off with it. I hope i see him again. Thanks for viewing , i hope you enjoy them.

[f4fwildcat]

Paragon Falcon? At any rate, great set, well done!

[eaglesfan]

it looks more like a falcon than a hawk IMO. but I'm not sure

anyway, nice set. bluejays are beautiful birds. and the last one of the hawk/falcon thing is really good. thanks for sharing

[jakethepig]

Great captures all Prime. I love the cheeky Bluejay. The woodpecker too is a great shot but my best ones are always the bird of prey. Not sure what he is but he looks very much like a bird that I watch a lot on the airfield at work and he's a kestrel. Whatever Prime these are excellet captures. Well done mate.

Dave.

[PrimeTime]

Originally Posted by f4fwildcat

Paragon Falcon? At any rate, great set, well done!

Thanks f4...........i think your right, it is some kind of falcon, but it doesn't have the marking of a paragon. Maybe some one will know for shure.

[leonaashlee]

Great shots. Since I moved west, I haven't seen a blue jay like this...aren't they gorgeous. So many consider them nuisance birds....I guess you can see why..ha ha, but they also rob other nests of eggs...the unidentified bird looks like a sharp-skinned hawk in my book. Never even heard of that type....but it's the identical picture. Nice shots on all.

[beachcomber]

Congratulations, this is quality photography

beach

[PrimeTime]

Thanks everyone...........i've done a little research on the bird killing machine.

From what i have found , it is a chicken hawk, or otherwise know as a cooper's hawk. The sharp shinned hawk is much smaller(about the size of a blue jay) and has a different shaped tail. A juvenile cooper's hawk will have yellow eyes and virtical striped chest feathers, changing to red eyes and horizontal salmon colored chest feathers as an adult. They are being seen more often hunting over back yard bird feeders (kind of like this one)

[TAGfan]

PrimeTime - I believe what you have there is a Sharp Shinned Hawk. Strange name, I know, but that's its name nonetheless.

Of course it depends on where you are from, but if you are in the US its either the Sharp Shinned or the Cooper's hawk.

[jack russell]

Sharp Shin for sure .. we have one that takes everything from sparrows mid air to large doves basking on the deck .. fast as get go ours will swing though the openings just above the side gate so he hits unseen except for the last 20 feet.. and that's like half a second .. and pow .. not much chance of capturing that never mind escaping it .. BTW fantastic set .. where are you Norther US or Ontario?