Three Photos, One Story

Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii, Albuquerque
The first hawk

 

Only one of these photos of Cooper's Hawks is any good, but together the three photos tell a story. Two days ago I was walking through my neighborhood when I saw a hawk sitting in a tree. It didn't like me taking its picture but it didn't leave either. Then I noticed its partner in the next tree. I'm not sure which was the male and which was the female, but they were definitely a pair. I snapped an initial picture of the second hawk. It's grainy because I had to crop and enlarge the image.

 

Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii, Albuquerque
The second hawk

 

As I started to zoom in for a better picture of the second hawk, it asked me to leave. I caught that moment in the third picture. Since they were no doubt defending their nest, I left.

Cooper's Hawk, Accipiter cooperii, Albuquerque