For the last couple of days, I've been puzzled by a hawk swooping along Ohio
Drive and Washington Channel every morning. I haven't been able to get
binics on it yet, but it looks like a large Cooper's, from the shape of it.
Long thin tail, accipiter wings, body the size of a big crow.

This morning, I watched it swoop along the length of the Ohio Drive median,
scattering the (many, many) squirrels along its route.  It seemed to be
hunting them, but clearly not doing a very good job of it -- they all saw it
from quite a ways away.

Then it landed on the fence of the tennis courts, where another squirrel was
clinging to the chain links below it.  To my surprise, the squirrel didn't
flee. Instead, it turned and charged the bird! The hawk started flapping its
wings to ward off the rodent, which then turned and finally fled into the
adjoining tree...

That was the best look I've had of the bird (again, no binocs).  I could not
see a white bar at the end of the tail, but I'm at a loss as to what --
other than a Cooper's that doesn't know how to hunt -- the bird could be...
and what's up with that squirrel attack???

-- Scott Michaud
Annandale, VA

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