Today the day dawned cold but clear. Prior to work,I sketched pictures of cartoon heads using Inkscape.I thought that I should use the internet to learn how to make better drawings.
At lunch, I drove to Breckinridge Park. The temperature was but a few degrees above freeing, but the sky was clear. I pulled into parking lot B, which is near the little lake. I usually eschew the lake and watch for sparrows in a little stand of trees.
After I first parked, I looked into the distance. I saw two coyotes. Here is a picture of one distant coyote:
They ran off when they saw me. In the brush/trees, I saw dark-eyed juncoes frolic. I like them because they are active and distinctive. Then I took pictures of this house finch:
I like house finches because they sing.
As I pulled away to get a sandwich, I turned into an auxiliary parking lot. I sometimes see robins or cedar waxwings there. I did not see those,but I did see this raptor:
I had trouble sorting out which hawk it was at first. Its head looked wrong for a red-shouldered hawk, though some of its reddish coloring might have fit. It was not thin enough for a female northern harrier, though the small face and the white hindquarters reminded me a bit of that bird. I finally thought it likely to be a Cooper's hawk or a sharp-shinned hawk. Fortunately, I had a "kak, kak"sound to rely upon, as this was the most vocal hawk I have ever met (its new nest must have been near). The Cornell bird site had a "kak, kak" as a Cooper's hawk. The bird's eye color fit as well. So my identification is Cooper's hawk, but only to a certain level of certainty. I am very imperfect with hawk ID.
I got a sandwich and then worked a full afternoon. At home, I watched the television program NCIS, and am now watching NCIS: LA.