“Teen-age” birds need to learn life skills too

We sometimes forget that birds are like most types of living things, including us humans, and must learn many of the life skills they need to survive. This is an immature Cooper’s Hawk that was fledged near our house in Southern California. Unfortunately he has not yet learned to stay out of the street and out of human’s way. The water is irrigation run off early in the morning in the street and this hawk found it perfectly acceptable to sit and splash for an early morning bath. I got out of my car to take the pictures and he did not fly off-pictures taken from about 20-25′. I then returned to my car and slowly advanced. Finally I honked my horn and that startled him and away he flew. I only hope he learned a lesson and developed a fear/respect for cars.