This is a common hawk around these parts and remarkably sometimes captured digitally on one of the trail cameras. Like this one from the last batch of photos we recently uploaded.
Don't take my word for it; if you go to the 'LABELS' feature on the left side of the blog homepage you can click on Red-Tailed Hawk or Raptors to see previous posts on the subject.
This bird comes in a range of colors stretch from dark brown to almost white. Typically they're shades of brown, white breast and a distinctive rust-red tail. Both sexes are similarly-colored with the female being slightly larger in size. Yes, you'll find photos here of a pair.
They raise one brood a year and the young of the year don't develop the red tail until the second year. Contrary to what the book says - this species is found here year-round.
Here's a captive (rescue) bird; providing a good look at the talons found on this raptor.
If a raptor goes to a nail salon do they get a manicure or a pedicure?
Meet Circus cyaneus - the northern harrier - colloquially known as a marsh hawk. A predictable resident as we've been host to a nesting pair for any number of years already.
Meet Buteo lagopus - the Rough-legged Hawk. Dark morph to be exact.
Summer breeding range is the northernmost extent of Canada's coniferous forest zone and escarpment bordering the arctic tundra. Preferring open country, when hunting this bird of prey often hovers on beating wings and at sustained speeds of 22-28 miles per hours it can fly for longer periods than most birds of prey. In a dive it can reach speeds of up to 120 miles per hour.
The light morph has a distinctive the white rump on the upper tail and underside is easily identified by the dark wrist patches on the flight feathers of the underwing and a dark band at the end of the under part of the tail. (See photo below). The dark morph is dark all-over.
Prey includes small rodents such as lemmings, voles, ground squirrels and other small mammals. This species is monogamous and the female guards the nest while the male is on the hunt. A pair will fledge 2-6 young once a year.
That makes for two raptor appearances so far this year on a trail camera. That's a good start.
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| 2-9-15 photo |
From time-to-time one of the ever patient and vigilant trail cameras delivers a real keeper photo. It might be an infrequent critter, an artfully-composed image or an action shot. Every ten days or so as we make our rounds of the camera trap line can be an adventure.
Recently there was this....
It's a rare event to snag an image of a resident raptor on the ground. Particularly one with another bird for scale. In this case a crow.
I cannot be absolutely certain but I believe that the hawk is a female northern harrier. Underside wing markings, owl-like face and yellow eyes are reasonably reliable field marks. Also, a male and female are frequent visitors and are observed hunting as they glide just above the ground in the breeze.
Even if I'm wrong about the ID it certainly made my day to upload these gems.
Side benefit of living in a wild land.  If
you look above the inspection pipe sticking out of our POWTS - in the
center of the photo you can make out three bald eagles perched in a
tree. The one on the
bottom is a mature adult. The two above are juveniles. The youngsters
will attain the distinctive white head plumage at 4-5 years of age. This was a fortuitous observation. Should probably go out and purchase a lottery ticket....
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| click on images for a closer look |
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