On Veterans Day, I was sitting at my kitchen window with a delicious mug of freshly brewed coffee, a comfortable seat and freshly washed windows to look through. All I needed to do was wait and watch.

The sharp-shinned hawk, commonly called a sharpie, is a small hawk with a big attitude. About the size of a blue jay, it is the smallest hawk in North America. No matter. Sharpies use their short, ...