Birdwatch: Day Three

UPDATE: No video. It was pouring rain this morning so neither the bird nor I felt like cooperating.

Our maybe-Cooper's Hawk is back on his little precarious perch tonight, making this at least the third night we're aware of that he's been there.

I say maybe-Cooper's Hawk because as Michelle was looking at birds of prey photos today, she's partly convinced that what we have might also be a Peregrine Falcon. I just know I can't be sure of anything until I see his face, and even then, I know I'm likely to be wrong.

I do know this: He's started building little stalagmites of poop on the front porch, and has liberally peppered the string of unlit Christmas lights that go down from his perch. I may just throw them away when the time comes. I'm not sure I'm up to scrubbing up bird of prey poop.

Tomorrow morning, I'm sneaking out of the house at dawn to see if I can get some pictures and/or video of his face and chest, by which we hope to be able to identify him a little better. That'll mean going out the back door tomorrow morning and trekking through the deep snow on the north side of the house so I don't spook him going out the front door. At least I can hide out in the Pilot and get warm doing my sneaky work.