• Thursday-What'sUP May 6 - 08:06 am

Laurie Bashaw never knows what she's going to see when she looks out her window in the western Marquette County area. These are some shots of the recent visitors she was lucky enough to capture with her camera. The first shot was taken right out of her kitchen window and is some type of hawk, but we're not quite sure which, so if anyone can help us identify this beauty, please chime in. Looks like it might be sitting there waiting for something unsuspecting to come along, like a chipmunk or a smaller bird, so it can "grab" a snack.

The other recent visitors to Laurie's yard were a trio of deer and one little black bunny. The deer were obviously there looking for something to eat and finding some nibbles under the bird feeder, too. But Laurie said the little black bunny might have just been there for a social outing, as he's been hanging around their yard for a couple months now and on this day, he was interacting with the deer, smelling their legs and jumping around trying to get them to play it seemed. She said when the deer walked away, he was standing there up on his hind feet, like he was saying, "Hey, where are you going?" Animal antics... always fun to watch.

These are wonderful pictures today! Laurie, great timing to have a camera in hand!

It appears to be a Sharp-Shinned Hawk although it could be a Coopers Hawk.They are almost identical.Coopers Hawks are generally larger.

I've seen these pix of Laurie's before. They're awesome!!! Hope that hawk isn't waiting for an innocent kitty!!! But he can come on over and clean up some of those gray squirrels, that are all over the place, if he's hungry!!! And I always love seeing deer. The other night when we came home from bowling, there were 3 deer in our yard under our bird feeders, right in our front yard. Of course I didn't take my camera to bowling :(

Great shots, Laurie!!

Is that a wild rabbit? I have never seen that color in the wild before.

Alex...there are some wild black bunnies running in different areas up here...I've seen them in Baraga and in Hubbell...

WONDERFUL pics today!

It's difficult to see the eye color(s) in the photo but I'm going with adult Sharp-shinned. Take a look at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-shinned_Hawk/id and see what you think, eh?

Hi
I think it would take a bigger predator---like a Great Horned Owl--to go after a cat. I tried looking up what Cooper's Hawks eat on-line but it was not very specific. The website did have the following:

If you put out seed for birds in your backyard, there’s a chance you’ll also attract the attention of a Cooper’s Hawk. While catching smaller birds is just doing what comes naturally for a Cooper’s Hawk, many of us would prefer not to share the responsibility for the deaths. If a Cooper’s Hawk takes up residence in your yard, you can take your feeders down for a few days and the hawk will move on.

What an awesome view from your window, Laurie! Thank you for today's great animal pictures. I especially like the black bunny's playing with the deer. :-)

Cats eat far more birds than the other way around, eh?

A kitten would stand a chance to be lunch.

Kitty Hawk??? Ohhhh... if that was meant to be a play on words Deb, you got me there for a while. BTW the name of Kitty Hawk, NC of Wright Brothers fame apparently has nothing to do with kitties or hawks.

...and what if the kitty was named Moe?

Maybe it's Henery Hawk looking for Foghorn J., I say, Foghorn J. Leghorn???

You guys are hoots! Need a little comedy this mornin' BTW if anyone else is watching the eagels of Decorah...do you know what the (smaller) male parent's doing with the nest. Keeps digging and moving the stuff around. Maybe cleaning it or digging up scraps missed? Hope some one knows.

Mskatie, did you notice how windy it is there again. The male must be digging in for cover :>)

Not a wild rabbit Alex. A family down the road has rabbits
and I think this one is an escapee!
Thanks Mary......always fun to see my pictures on this site.

Laurie...Thanks for the update and the photos.

Capt...I had to look that one up and I say, I say, I remember that cartoon...good stuff.

I think the adult eagles are making the nest deeper, if you will, for the babies so they do not fall out and they have a place to cuddle. It looks like a big bowl.

Okay, how did these pictures lead to a discussion about Looney Tunes cartoons??? Too funny!!

Wonderful photos once again! I cannot seem to access my own gallery anymore so have not been able to upload photos in quite awhile.

Butch & Jim are right on regards the Hawk. I go with Sharp-shin also because the end of the tail appears more squared off as opposed to Coopers tail end is usually rounded--still not a 100% sure detail tho. What really complicates is that an adult female Sharp-shin size wise is near the size of an adult male Coopers! (with raptors the female is larger then the male)