A knockout hawk encounter

[loco for purple]

Something happened this evening that I have have never seen before. I was working on my deck , when a few martins came in from feeding . They sat and were socializing for about 10mins. ,and then a Cooper's hawk showed up . I saw him as he came into the yard at Martin house level . I stood up and clapped my hands . This one male Martin bolted from the top of the house right at the hawk and they collided in mid-air and I heard this large thump.. I don't know if the hawk was surprised that the Martin flew at him and forgot to stick its talons out, but they made body to body contact. They hawk turned around and went back from the direction it came . I could see a dark object fall from the sky. I went and found a stunned male Martin . I left him there for about five mins. and I then i watched it fly off and climb very high , so it was just stunned . I noticed when I got home that one of the decoys was upside down . I worked in the yard most of the day on Sunday, after the rain stopped and there was not one hawk attack. This was an adult male coopers , so hopefully it's just passing through...

[Rupert]

Are most Martin attacks by the male Cooper's hawk which should be smaller than the female and more maneuverable, or is the female just as much a threat ?

[birdy girl]

Right now we have a pair of Cooper's coming. The female (larger) is the one taking the lead and trying to catch the martins. The male is just hanging out with her around the area kinda following her. But now if a great opportunity the male will go for a martin in a split second. He is kinda following where she goes. Now when the hawk babies hatch, the male is the main one going after our martins. I have read the male catches the pray and takes to female while she incubates the eggs and while the babies are very small. This is unusual for both to be coming this time Of year unless the female hasn't laid eggs yet.
By mid June and July male and female Cooper's will both be catching martins ( probably young martins).

That is what is happening here this year.

[Julio]

Interesting