While working in the back gardens I heard a bird's cry from the front. I grabbed my camera and ran. The sun was filtering in from the west and the bird was sitting high in the tree to the south. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 to 50 feet high. Usually a 200mm lens is good enough to get a clear shot but what with the glare and the distance and the surety that this big guy was ready to fly, I just shot until he flew away about a minute later.
All of the photos looked a whole lot like this.
I photograph birds because I like them. Same goes for flowers, plants, and other critters. I also like to zoom way in using editing software to see details. Not to publish, just to glimpse the beauty that I can't see with my naked eye. This? This was work. I can't begin to tell you how much I had to do to see much of anything. The finished products aren't much to look at, but they gave me a starting point to try to identify this hawk-like bird. My best guess is it's a broad-winged hawk.
Okay, you birders out there: what say ye?
As much as I enjoy the fun of attempting to correctly identify a bird I haven't seen before, I really love the little birds like this dark-eyed or slate gray junco that are part of the everyday fabric of my backyard tapestry.
I have no idea what he is (beyond the generic title 'hawk'), but he is magnificent!
ReplyDeleteYour little junco is a beauty too. We don't have them over here!
i dunno...it is a bird though...smiles...and a nice looking one...
ReplyDeletewas in the 70s or 80s all week here....awesome!
yup, i agree, it's a mighty fine looking bird ... maybe a hawk of some kind but that's just a guess ... great job capturing him!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on grabbing the camera when I think I hear or see a bird. Sorry, can't help you with identifying the hawk, hope someone can. Love your little Junco, they are just the cutest little birds.
ReplyDeleteTotally cool, is what I think. Did I ever tell you about the time I saw a hawk swoop into my little back yard and snatch a starling right out of the air. Feathers exploded everywhere. It also was totally cool.
ReplyDeleteCool...but I have no idea...could never tell those hawks apart. I love the juncos too, they are cute, but their arrival always makes me sad, as they arrive for winter. WHen I realize I haven't seen them for awhile I'm happy because they leave in the spring. :)
ReplyDeleteI like the look of those edited photos, and I think you are one heck of a good editor!
ReplyDelete=)
Coopers Hawk? No, I think you are right! very cool, C
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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You are lucky your birds wait for you. Mine aways fly aay.
ReplyDeleteCool sighting of the Hawk, I am still learning to id these hawks. So, I will leave it to the experts. The weather has been beautiful to be outside working in the yard. Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful....we've had a 'resident' hawk that shows up in our neighborhood for several weeks now...they're so fascinating.
ReplyDeleteCOME INTO MY PARLOR SAID THE SPIDER
Happy St. Pat's Day to you.
Nice photos.
ReplyDeleteRegards and best wishes
Silhouetted birds are so difficult to identify!
ReplyDeleteAnd even more so when you are below them looking up at their underbelly. Oh to see the nape of this bird's neck and/or its back.
My first 'guess' would be a Coopers Hawk as Broad-winged Hawks tend to be more chunky.
And Coops tend to hang out in the suburbs or even urban environments. While the Broad-wingeds prefer more open spaces.
But if you've got open land nearby your house Cheryl it's a distinct possibility!
Whichever this bird is-what a fun event in your own backyard! And the thrill of being outdoors and hearing something new in your own yard makes the day! Say-speaking of that--if you can recall what you first heard, you might id this bird by listening to both Hawk calls and factoring that into your decision.
Love this photo!!
I love raptors! Just got a red tailed hawk to sit for me...usually they fly off before I can get my camera in position.
ReplyDeleteNice photos, Cheryl. Sometimes you have to lighten the photos to identify a creature. I'm a newbie when it comes to identifying hawks. Sorry I cannot help. I have to see the tails to know if it's a red-tailed hawk and the shoulders to know if it's a red-shouldered hawk. And then I have to keep comparing it to my bird books. :))
ReplyDeleteWhat a magnificent hawk. About a year ago, we moved from a wooded lot with a creek and we had an abundance of hawks, juncos and other interesting birds. I have so much fun watching the birds. Thanks for sharing the awesome photos.
ReplyDeleteYou know a hawk's around when all the birds disappear and even the squirrels freeze in place. The yard becomes silent. Don't know what kind you've got there but it's a beauty. I like your little Junco too.
ReplyDeleteThe raptor looks like a Cooper's hawk, but it could also be a sharp-shinned hawk. I can't tell the size and those two birds look very much alike except for size. They both have the finely barred breast and long banded tail.
ReplyDeleteThe only hawk I can identify is a rough-legged hawk, and this fella looks like he might have pantaloons, but I can't really tell from this angle.
ReplyDeleteGood shot, though, Cheryl.
K
Looks like coopers hawk to me. It's hard to tell but the eye looked red in one of the pics which would be a sure give away. Accipiters like sharpies and coops have yellow, orange or red eyes depending on the age while broadwinged hawks have brown eyes.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of the majestic hawk!
ReplyDeleteThat is a hard one. I am more inclined to go with coopers hawk, but I wouldn't argue about it. Whatever it made for an exciting encounter and good photos.
ReplyDeletewe have a lot of big big birds here in colorado. some of them screech, some circle and some hoot in my honor (ha ha) mostly what I see though is perigrian falcons (I am sure I spelled that wrong) they are everywhere and they are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI have no idéa. We don´t have it in Sweden. But you got great short. :)
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