Hawk ID

[Leslie]

This large hawk visited the backyard (near High Park) about noon today.
At first I thought it was a female Coopers, then I guessed goshawk and now I'm really muddled.
It's probably moulting from immature to mature plumage.
It has a very pale front.
A white stripe over the eye is conspicuous in binoculars.
It looks heavy.
It walked into a narrow space and emerged with something attached to its foot (its lunch, I hope, and not something sticky that it stepped in).
In pictures, the stripe over its eye is visible but not conspicuous; however its face and nape are reddish.  These might be Coopers features.
My best (but still not great) pix, front, back, & on the ground, respectively:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/110451015447 ... 0594476002
http://picasaweb.google.ca/110451015447 ... 3119455426
http://picasaweb.google.ca/110451015447 ... 3119455426
(All 13 pix are at http://picasaweb.google.ca/110451015447 ... alGoshawk#  But the file might be large--I don't know how to compress photos yet.)
Any help appreciated.
Thanks.

[Bluffs Birder]

Hi Leslie,

You were right in thinking that it was a Cooper's Hawk.  I would say this bird is in it's moult into adulthood.  Wonderful sighting.

Walter

[Leslie]

Thanks, now I know for next time!
Leslie