This bird was seen along the east end of Dowdy's Hole Road, near the Bullit Run bridge at Bald Eagle State Park, Howard, PA on Nov. 27, 2016. I was leaving Bullit Run Access area after birding, when I saw this hawk struggling to lift a carcass of one of the two roadkill cottontail rabbits that had been lying in the middle of the road when I entered the area. I parked the car to watch, and then photographed from the car, as the bird worked hard to get the dead rabbit from one side of the road to the other and then dragged the carcass a couple of feet inside the wooded thicket to feed. The bird fed as I photographed, using the car as a blind. After getting some photographs, I slowly drove off (could see the advantage of having an electric car for total stealth; but my Forester is quiet enough); leaving the hawk to finish it's meal.
Cooper's Hawk juvenile and roadkill cottontail rabbit
Cooper's Hawk juvenile attempting to carry carcass off the road
Cooper's Hawk with rabbit in the safety of cover.
Cooper's Hawk opening carcass.
Coopers hawk feeding
A wary hawk....
This juvenile is keeping an eye on possible thief...