Cooper’s Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk Soaring
Late this morning, on a cool, sunny, colorful, breezy day, two hawks soared high in a soft blue sky traced with white cirrus clouds – a Red-tailed Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk, both circling up in the same wide column of air. They appeared to come very close together several times, crossing paths, though they may not have come as close as it looked, and there was no sign of any contact or interaction.
But it was fun to watch them fly. Exhilarating. The Red-tailed Hawk rose in slow, steady, large circles with broad wings outstretched. The Cooper’s Hawk flapped frequently, then glided, then flapped again. It turned swiftly, its banded tail sometimes flared and turned, and other times held more narrow and long. Its chest glowed red-orange in the sun.