Lifer in the Yard

Another lifer to add to the list this winter appeared in my yard this week. I get Cooper’s Hawks appearing often, but what I thought was just another one turned out to be something entirely different. It caught my eye initially because it was so much smaller than a Cooper’s Hawk, and then upon closer examination and a little help from my friends at the ABA facebook page, I was able to identify it as a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I also noticed it has a very full crop, so it must have recently found a nice meal.