Back view ...you can click on these pics to see them larger.Well, as usual I went looking for one thing.....dragonflies.....and found this really BIG DRAGON who flies. I don't know my hawks and it doesn't look like any in my book....what is it?
Who am I? Am I a young something?
The blackbirds buzzed and swooped it unmercifully until it went further up the creek.
Who am I? Am I a young something?The blackbirds buzzed and swooped it unmercifully until it went further up the creek.
%2B(2).jpg)
15 comments:
The hawk is really interesting and two hawks come to mind: a Red-shouldered Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk. Its the black and white speckles that is confusing me for I don't think a Red-tailed has that, but maybe a Red-shouldered has but I've only seen one once and that was at a great distance. I'll be curious to see what others think. Nice picture of it!
Ann: the speckles were what confused me,too. Nothing in my bird book shows that. That is why I thought it might be a juvenile something.
I vote for the immature red-tailed hawk, simply because we had one in our yard and yours and ours looks so similar. HOWEVER, I am certainly no expert!
Your dragonfly picture are wonderful, Mary - couldn't comment earlier. Sorta a read 'n run day.
Humm, Looking in my bird book, Sibley Guide to Birds I can't decide. There are a few it could be. I'll be interested to see what others think.
Becky
Great sighting, Mary. I may be wayyyyyyyy off, but it looks like pictures I've seen of the Krider's form of a Red-Tailed Hawk. You might trying searching Google.
Annie: Thanks for your opinion and comparison to what you've seen! And never feel you have to apologize for not keeping up with my blog :-) There are so many out there to look at, that it's a wonder any of us do anything else!
Becky and Gary: Well, the vote seems to be leaning towards Red Tailed.
Sandpiper: I knew you would have an answer :-) I looked at that Krider's form, but don't know. I really think it looks the most like what Peterson calls the "pale s. Florida form" of the Red Shouldered Hawk (but I'm a long way from Florida!).
Hi Mary, I'm going to get some expert help from a great birder friend of mine. As soon as I hear I will let you know. You're probably right it is most likely immature.
Eve: that would be great! I don't see enough hawks to have learned one from another.
You've got me intrigued. what I can't tell fromthe photo is the size of the bird and when zi saw the first photo with what looked like the typical "backpack straps" of a redtail I though tht might be it. But after enlaging the photos and consulting 3 differenet bird guides I am leaning more towards a Broadwing Hawk. I am no expert by any means but the breast feathers, the habitiat and the tail are what suggest that to me. It does look like it is in intermediate plumage between a juvenile and an adult. And who knows, it could be a hybrid. These things do happen!
Kathiesbirds: Well, thanks for giving an oppion. I really didn't realize this was going to be such a puzzle! I figured everyone except me would know what it was!
Hi Mary! My source says Sandpiper is right, it is most likely the Krider's form of a Red-Tailed Hawk. Birds are funny sometimes we may never know!
I'm going to disagree, just to make things more confusing. The tail has narrow white stripes and none of the phases of a red-tail or a broad-winged has that that I know of. I don't think your bird is really light enough to be a Kriders either. I vote for immature red-shouldered hawk. The barring on the breast that's beginning to appear looks a lot more like red-shouldered than red-tailed to me. But I could be way off base too. I'm going to ask my guru also and will let you know what she says.
Mary and brucesc, I can't wait to find out! I only showed my friend the picture of the front of the hawk...not really fair I know. He was going by that dark collar for the Kriders...one of his books shows it clearly. But like I said it's hard sometimes. I'll be waiting to hear!
My hawk guru goes for red-shouldered, using the front picture mostly. Those diagonal stripes on the back must be some sort of anomaly, but the tail looked immature red-shouldered to her too. Of course, we'll never really know...........LOL. Thanks for the challenge, Mary.
Wow....I really appreciate all this expert help! I did find a picture of it that I took more from the side....not very close...that I could post if anyone thinks that would help. If this poor bird only knew all the attention that it was getting (from someone other than the red-winged blackbirds:-) I really felt that the Krider's ID didn't quite feel right because every picture I looked at was much paler in color than this bird. Most of the Krider's appear almost white in the photos I found on the net.
Post a Comment