The aggressive and bold Cooper's Hawks sweeps into my bird feeders at thirty-five mph. They are easily recognized by their blue-gray coloring on their backs, red-brown bars on their chests, penetrating yellow-red eyes, and long tails which allow for excellent maneuverability as they streak through dense wooded areas. Cooper's Hawks are about 20 inches long with a wing span of 36 inches.They visit my bird feeders for only one purpose...to kill and eat the song birds. Cooper's Hawks are not fussy eaters! Their menu consists of robins, blue jays, morning doves, starlings, blue birds, as well as rodents, squirrels and chipmunks. On Eighty Acres the Cooper's have devised a most creative way to capture their prey. Patiently waiting for the song birds to gather at the bird feeders, they sweep in on the feeders, driving the frenzied birds into the house windows. The birds are stunned and are quickly picked up by the hungry hawks. Which brings me to my dilemma. Have my bird feeders simply become a cafeteria for the Cooper's Hawk? I understand that in the Earth Mother's world, the hawks must eat to survive, but in this case... I'm pulling for the song birds.
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