Chloe eyes the Cooper hawk perched on the tennis court fence |
Albuquerque, an urban center contains an abundance of wildlife living within the city boundaries. Most recently, bobcats and coyotes have made the city their preferred hunting grounds, and residents with small cats and dogs have been instructed by the city’s wildlife department that it’s best to take protection measures for their pets against these roaming predators.
Now add another predator to that list, the Cooper hawk, which has moved from the surrounding mountains into the city. These birds are also capable of attacking small pets in their backyard. Chloe and I observed one such hawk that flew across our walking path as it tried ambushing a darting rabbit that had evacuated the safety of some low sidewalk shrubs.
Most recently, we encountered a Cooper hawk perched on the park’s tennis court fencing - see image above. It was the bird’s unique silhouette that caught my eye, and then I pointed it out to Chloe. As we crept ever closer to the sitting bird, I could also see Chloe’s hunting instincts about to kick in, even if the hawk was high up on the fence. Chloe finally gave off our position with one loud bark, and the bird took off.
The Cooper Hawk |
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