A good exercise

This exercise will help you to try and size a bird. I would think your primary target would be gulls. Or crows. Observe the hawk naked eye, then of course raise your binos. Then lower the binos and go back to naked eye. Do this over and over again. Then you will get a better feel for the size of the bird.

Another exercise is to practice looking deep into the sky. Many of you will say- If I cannot identify raptors at one- half mile away, why should I try and observe a raptor at one mile away? Or more. Do you know that it takes practice to look deep into the sky? In other words, it does not come naturally. But that dot or speck or mote might show projections, meaning wing and tail. Most of time that is all it takes to form an opinion or an identity. So practice looking at all raptors at all distances — naked eye and with optics. Try and understand that you do not have to name a raptor— just enjoy being outside with nature and enjoy. Act as if you were a child again and just observe. Also, pay a lot attention to raptors in flight naked eye. Because most of the time you will not have your binos, as when you go to a ball game or on the tennis court or driving your car. And with practice you can observe raptors perched and in flight while driving  car. NB.