Way to close buddy, i have a problem....

Fellow winged predators are always welcomed in my backyard… We have lots of Red Tail Hawks which fly up on high. One evening I see this hawk flying under the canopy, darting about… It was flying alot like Starling fly. I looked it up and it was a Red Shoulder Hawk, which specialize in hunting under the canopy… I have a soft spot for predators, being one myself…😈
 
We have all kinds of raptors here, from the little kestrels up to great horned owls and bald eagles. All are welcome - and protected by law!

As mentioned above, the hawk in your post is little danger to your fish, chipmunks and mice had better keep out of sight though.

Hawk are skittish and hard to get pictures of, owls are more laid back and easier.

I'm fortunate to have a Barred Owl on my property. They are territorial home-bodies that are fairly easy to befriend. "Fred", the owl in the picture, will often follow me when I'm out for a walkabout. Nice to see. 🙂

Barred Owl.JPG
 
Sharp shinned Hawks are generally SMALLER than Coopers (not much bigger than a blue Jay or mourning dove). They have a squared off tail compared to a Cooper's more rounded off tail. On the fly they're pretty hard to tell apart but the tail will tell the tale :unsure: . We've had BOTH nest in the trees behind our place (though NOT at the same time). LOVE watching raptors & high flying soaring birds of any kind.