Update: January 3, 2014: I captured some new Cooper’s Hawk footage yesterday. You can see it in this video, Interesting interaction between Cooper’s Hawk and Fox Squirrel (Accipter cooperii and Sciurus niger)
A month or so ago, our friend, Keri over at Animalbytes.net, shared some great pictures of a Cooper’s Hawk having a fine bath in her bird feeder. I have had Cooper’s Hawks do the same thing in my garden. You can see my Cooper’s Hawk video below along with a sample and link to Keri’s post.
Even birds of prey need a drink or a bath now and then. Both the red-tailed hawks and the Cooper’s hawks seem to prefer the still, raised bird bath over the bubbling fountain 20 feet away. The juncos and the hermit thrush prefer a shallow dish placed under a rose bush. Water is vital for creating habitat.
Placing water in an open space enables birds to see any lurking dangers and frequently allows them to feel comfortable enough to happily splash and play in the water.
