Thanks for the report Clare.

I don't band the Cooper Hawk's. That's Jack Bettlesworth to spends a
lot of time and energy doing that. I did assist him with banding in
the Coops in Volunteer Park that's mostly observing, locating,
photographing and occasionally handing a band or carrying a trap. Jack
runs his research project and collates all the data. And we exchange
emails fairly often (with other IDed or partially ID Coop tags).

On Mar 13, 2010, at 1:02 PM, Clare McLean wrote:

> While reviewing my shots taken this morning, I realized I
> photographed a silver-colored band on its leg. If you'd like to have
> a look, photos are here:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/claremclean/sets/72157623488745735/

This shot shows the al band on the left leg. So if it's one of Jack's
it's a female.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/claremclean/4430310898/in/set-72157623488745735/

> It was working with a small branch from a coniferous tree; is it too
> young to be collecting nesting material? I didn't see any other bird
> with it.

It still has a yellow eye so I suspect it's a yearling and certainly
won't have mated before. The female selects the nest site. Some do
mate in juvi plumage but this seems rather young. But perhaps the
nesting instinct is kicking in.

> I wonder if this is one of those banded by Kevin Purcell in
> Volunteer Park?

I encourage everyone who observes or photographs a Cooper's Hawk
around King County to check for a large blue tag on a leg (along with
the usual aluminum band). It's interesting in photographs how many
people miss the tag (or Photoshop it out!) even though it's in the
shot. The blue VID (visual ID) tag has two numbers or letters on it
(perhaps with a separating bar) and uniquely identifies the bird. This
tag is readable in photographs or by direct observation with
binoculars or a spotting scope. It's important to note the leg the
blue VID tag is on even if you can't get the letters -- that indicates
the sex of the bird.

The same for falcons banded by the Falcon Research Group that will
carry a black VID tag.

Without seeing the blue VID tag it's not possible to know if this is
one of the Coops Jack banded (let alone if it was one of last year's
fledglings). It may be a juvi from another nest around here or it
might have been banded elsewhere and has arrived in Seattle.

> I have also seen an adult Cooper's zooming down the alley between
> 19th and 20th aves East between Mercer and Roy twice in the past
> month or so.

I suspect I may have seen this bird twice now. From Volunteer Park
this week (including Sat March 13) I saw a juvi Coop dynamically
soaring (it was breezy) over eastern side of VP eventually heading
south out of sight. On Monday I saw the bird thermally soaring at
perhaps 100 feet and heading south from the park. It could be the same
bird.

Clearly a bird to keep an eye on though I suspect it's chances of
mating are not great.

There are others on the hill. I've seen some adult(s) (IDed as one of
Jack's Coops) hunting around Broadway in the last 10 days.

> In other words: Cap Hill/Montlake is good urban habitat for Cooper's
> Hawks!

I think Cap Hill is a good place for raptors of all sorts. With lots
of mid-sized prey in this "productive" urban area it attracts both
wintering and summer birds. Last winter there were several Merlin,
Cooper's, Red-tailed Hawks and a least a couple of Sharp-shinned Hawk
along with the occasional Bald Eagle. In migration Turkey Vultures,
Rough-legged Hawks and a possible Swainson's Hawk last fall.

The shape of the hill (a ridge running north and south that tapers
down to the cut) generates "orographic lift" from winds from both the
north and the south-west so enabling a lot of "dynamic soaring".
That's what the Coop I saw today was doing. And the urban coverage of
the hill generates a significant thermal so it's regularly used by
raptors moving north and south.
--
Kevin Purcell
Seattle, WA
kevinpurcell at pobox.com
http://kevin-purcell.blogspot.com http://twitter.com/kevinpurcell