Sharpie and Merlin

[Grandpa Gray J]

Spotted this bird, what I originally thought was a Cooper, in the tree just out front of our house on the way to go out birding - pretty good start to an afternoon of birding through the valley.  The size made me think is was a Cooper's but looking at the photos in more detail I think it's a relatively large Sharpie.    The cap is not difined and black plus it doesn;t seem to have the overhanging "eyebrows" .   It was about the size of a crow.   I guess a large Sharpie can be similar in size to a small Coop.  

 

The second bird is what I think is a Merlin I spotted yesterday the afternoon yesterday in the fields on the west side of Cache County, Northern Utah.  

 

[The Bird Nuts]

#1 is a Cooper's (bulky body, blocky, flat-topped head, gray color of cheeks extends into nape, small eyes toward front of head).  I think Merlin for #2 is correct.

[meghann]

Agree with TBN.

[Jerry Friedman]

3 hours ago, The Bird Nuts said:

#1 is a Cooper's (bulky body, blocky, flat-topped head, gray color of cheeks extends into nape, small eyes toward front of head).  I think Merlin for #2 is correct.

I agree that it's a Cooper's, also because of the graduated tail (good thing Grandpa Gray J got shots of the tail tip), but in the first shot the nape looks dark to me.  Maybe I don't know what "nape" means?

[The Bird Nuts]

I agree that the nape looks dark in the first photo, but it also seems to be in a shadow.