Sharp-shinned Hawk

Hannah and her sister

She is listening to some rustling beneath the holly and is ignoring us just on the other side of the window. From her coloring, she is a juvenile. The brown streaks on her chest will fade to orange and her back feathers will turn gray. She is slightly bigger than a blue jay so she is the smallest hawk. Sparrow hawks may be smaller but have been renamed kestrels as they are really falcons

the hawk even ignored squirming Maya trying to get a better look

newborn me. I am Hannah sized. I first thought that this was a nurse in the hospital but where's her cap and why the wood paneling. I do have my beaded id bracelet still on. Now they have lo-jack systems attached which start blaring if they get too close to an elevator

I should be out there running but the new coat of snow and the 2 degrees have made it less inviting. Monday our elliptical trainer arrives so at least I will be a bit more comfortable.

So my bird feeders are  bird feeders in an unwanted sense. Last week the tiny hawk swooped in causing death and havoc though flew off empty billed. She has returned. I saw her swooping down close to our breakfast nook and pointed her out to Steve. At that moment a rabbit raced by.

That's not a hawk, that's a rabbit. Captain Obvious stated.

Could the hawk be chasing a rabbit which must out weigh it by several fold? The bigger red tailed hawk would but the sharp shinned hawk specializes in chasing birds like its bigger lookalike, the Cooper's hawk (whose nest I found and I have photos of the hawks taking turns warming the eggs).

The hawk seemed to be thinking the rabbit was in the underbrush and stayed there for about 5 minutes cocking its head intently Photo op!!!. The rabbit was long since gone. Suddenly it dove down and we heard a squeal. A sparrow had been hiding but managed to escape despite being attacked.  It has come back again. Bird books say take the feeders down for a while and the hawk will hunt elsewhere and the birds will return before it does.

Meanwhile the squirrel is too fat or the pole too slippery for it to reach the feeder. It's fun watching it try.

As said many times before, I hate winter. It is screwing with my exercise routine. I went out the other day in minus 5 windchills. I did manage to lose a bit over a pound since New Year's Eve but very slow. I think I am over the half way mark finally.

We will visit Hannah this morning. Hopefully she will be awake.