Squirrel confronts Cooper's Hawk

[dgulb...@gmail.com]

Shortly after I started observing a large immature Cooper's atop

the utility pole at the back corner of my yard, I was astonished

to see one of the squirrels regularly seen clambering on the pole

climbing to the very top.  The hawk was on the middle of one arm

of the crossbar.  I naively assumed that there would soon be one 

dead squirrel.  No way.  When the squirrel's head appeared above

the top of the pole, the hawk reared up and back a bit, fully extending

one wing.  The squirrel showed no fear.  With his fluffy winter coat,

his size equalled the hawk's.  

The hawk didn't want to leave (he was overlooking my neighbor's feeder),

nor did the squirrel, who maneuvered around the top of the pole for about

2 minutes more before descending.

David Gulbenkian, Lakewood, Jefferson Cty