Cooper's Hawk

The Christmas tree, still remarkably green, now lies prone in back of the bird feeder, and, soon enough, I'll prop and tie it upright to serve as a songbird shelter. But our freeloaders weren't inclined to wait for "soon enough," and they promptly started flying in and out of the evergreen's branches. All this activity didn't go unnoticed. The hustle and bustle attracted the attention of a young  Cooper's Hawk, and while I have no way of knowing if the accipiter-in-training actually snagged any prey when it swooped in like an avian cruise missile, it was clear that the apprentice predator was looking for something it reckoned it could eat. The Cooper's landed and walked around the tree three times, its large head and eyes straining to see something in the dark shelter of the prickly needles. But whatever might have been there wasn't accessible and after a few minutes, the curious hawk launched itself through the trees and headed for other feeders that might offer easier meals.