Blue Jays and Nuthatches are a reliable source of alarm when a Cooper’s is in the hood. This one was out in the open with prey when I followed the shrieks, but soon retreated to the foliage of a beech.
The raptor was plucking.
A few of the prey’s feathers fell down to the road below.
Lunch seems to have been a woodpecker.
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Speaking of woodpeckers, our largest, the Pileated, has returned to NYC.
Great pics of the hawk. Fantastic news about the Pileateds’ return! I see two come to our yard frequently , hammering loudly on old trees along our patch of green . Their calls and large physique make them a favorite here in the southern tier of New York. Corning, that is.