Flap, Flap, Flap, Glide

      "Flap. Flap. Flap. Glide." That has stayed with me from wherever I originally heard or read of it. I looked up as I was walking north about lunchtime on the sidewalk of a busy street.  I always look up periodically when I am walking. There are a lot of pigeons around here but you never know when a hawk will cross your path.  I saw a bird fly over the road far in front of me from northwest to northeast. It flew out of sight momentarily but, then, crossed back over the road going west and it was much closer. Flap. Flap. Flap. Glide. Another "flap, flap, flap glide" came from over the buildings and trees due East. There was two of them.  At first, I thought they were hunting together but I don't think Cooper's Hawks do that.  Maybe, it was a pair of this year's nestmates working together and perfecting their hawk skill-set. Likely, it was two juveniles who are passing through on their way South or, maybe, they will just stay here for the winter. The winters are relatively mild. They both flew out of sight and into a tall bank of old trees behind a nursing home. The trees are in an old neighborhood full of beautiful, old houses. I debated going over to the neighborhood to see if I could find them and get a closer look but I can never find Cooper's Hawks in trees with most of their leaves. My eye is not trained enough. I debated longer but the three grocery bags I was carrying decided otherwise. Several crows exploded out of the top of those trees and I knew where at least one "flap-flap-flap-glides" was generally speaking. They exploded up but were clearly focused on something below them. They flew back down into the trees and out of sight but I could hear them. Somebody was getting mobbed. I wonder if the crows were at all successful.