Thursday, February 12, 2009

Name That Hawk

I know it's a fuzzy shot (my camera's zoom is pathetic) but do any of you bird watchers know what kind of hawk this might be?

I see it floating through the yard now and then, and I caught the flash of its striped wings as it swooped up to this broken tree. I just happened to have the camera handy, but it was a long way off. So far, in fact, that after a while I wasn't sure whether I was seeing a bird or just a splintered end of the log.

I've seen a pilleated woodpecker in these lower woods too, only the second one I've ever seen. They're pretty impressive. So are the holes they're excavating in the trees down there. I'm not sure yet whether to love or hate those guys. Them and the deer.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well..Hawks are tough....but if you want to take a look, this is a good resource...

Raptors

Anonymous said...

Just wait until spring, when the woodpeckers find something really echoey to bang on (a metal shed or a chimney topper) as part of their mating rituals. It's the coolest sound. We used to live in a really wooded area, with lots of woodpeckers. I miss the sounds of their mating season.

MyMaracas said...

Michelle, that is a good site. I've narrowed it down to two, I think; Northern Harrier/marsh hawk or a Cooper's Hawk. I'll have to watch for it to get a better look. Thanks for the link!

Sally, that does sound cool. We have a lot of things to bang on out here, so there's a good chance we'll hear them, I think.

spookydragonfly said...

Can't help you with the Hawk, but that's neat that you've spotted the Pileated! I just love them, I saw our Female take flight across the span of our pond, it was amazing. You gotta love 'em!