Watchful by TwoPynts
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Description
Thanks to everyone who left feedback on yesterday's owl/eagle photo, BASHFUL. Your comments and advice are always wonderful to read.
I was debating about posting today's photo but I figured I should round out the series (and the week) with the final bird that I photographed last weekend. I don't feel that I got any great shots of it, but I was asked by a few of you to post it anyway. My other concern was that I'm not completely sure of what raptor it is. At first I thought it was a broad-winged hawk but now I'm leaning towards red-tailed hawk. I've scoured the web but was unable to find a perfect match. I'm more certain than not though that it is a type of red-tail -- but if anyone can prove differently I'm open to changing that assumption. What really clued me in was the size is about right, and they have short, dark hooked beaks. HERE is a low-res photo that closely matches my images.
This is my final new raptor photo, but I may post a close-up of the little American Kestral tomorrow if anyone is interested. Thanks for stopping by and be sure and listen to the call of the red-tailed hawk below!
Olympus C5050 and PhotoshopCS
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RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)
Length: 15-19 in.
Weight: 1.1-2 lbs.
Wingspan: 37-42 in.
Common Names:
red-tail, chicken hawk
Description:
A typical buteo, soaring hawks with broad wings and tail. Plumages are highly variable, 4 light-morphs and 3 dark-morph forms are distinguishable.
Flight:
Active flight is with slow, deep wingbeats, and may soar or glide in a slight dihedral. Can also hover or kite on the wind.
Voice:
Often described as a scream, resembles a long, wheezy "kkeeeeer." Used on television, regularly dubbed over as the sound of an eagle or vulture.
Habitat:
Birds of both open and wooded areas, particularly wood edges, they will hunt from a high perch with a good view or soar on thermals over open fields.
Distribution:
They are the most common and widespread buteo of North America. They are found throughout North America except in the high Arctic; northern birds are migratory.
Nesting:
Red-tailed hawks make their nest of sticks, usually nesting in the top half of tall trees. They will often return to the same territory for many years. They are extremely sensitive to disturbance during nest building, and may even abandon the nest. Red-tailed hawks lay 2-4 eggs every other day, incubation by both the male and female lasts about 34 days, and the young fledge in about nine weeks. Red-tailed hawks can fly at 9 weeks (competent), and at 15 weeks are capable of being on their own but will continue to hang around parents. Breed at age 2.
Food:
Feed predominantly on rodents, mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits, moles, chipmunks, weasels, and occasionally on birds, snakes, and insects.
To learn more, visit The Carolina Raptor Center.
Comments (24)
Mimey
Again two beautiful captures... perfect done !!!
diomedes66
Wonderful captures and superb raptor. Bravo, well done!
marybelgium
and again splendid shots !
Haeberle
Yup, excellent shots again ! Such beautiful birds, wonderful !
DJB
Always a nice gesture adding the information to these fine shots!
SNAKEY
The one on right is something that jimry had posted a while back....the other one I dunno and as long as the name is a mystry it makes it more interesting.:O))
TwoPynts
Valentin
Awesome capture of this splendid bird... wonderful !
sossy
amazing close ups of this Lord of the air in their majestic pose! outstanding and impressive photographies! thanks a lot! ;o)
nelsone
First of all, what a fabulous collage! It'a always safest to guess Redtail first, because that one name encompasses so many races from which to choose. But maybe the whitish cere would point you more toward the Swainson's hawk? Just a guess. (I use Wheeler as a guide.)
TwoPynts
I checked the Swainsons hawk, but it looks like their habitat doesn't extend too close to Florida and the plumage is not as distinctive as theirs, so I'm guess that it isn't one. Thanks for your input though!
Lledeline
They are fantastic.
ana-maria
Excellent shots!!! The lightning on right one looks wondeful.
Onslow
Wonderful and informative series on these birds. Personally I have a thing about close ups of eyes so missed a few - excellent shots though :)
hotracer2
They are so magestic looking birds!!!
ModestyB
I think it looks like some sort of a buzzard...with that beak.....I would have guessed.. a juvenil "Buteo buteo". U should have added an airborn 2 ;)
glix70
The strnght od the mother nature has his reals guardians of the sky, These to unlucky are the uman jale!!! Beautiful capture my friend!!! :)
logiloglu
wonderful shots. excellent presented. !!!!!!! #:O) !!!!!!!!
sharky_
They are beautiful birds. Always love to see birds. Incredible! Aloha
AgentMai
Thanks for the very interesting info on the birds! I have always wanted to take photos of birds of prey, although I dont know if the raptor and reptile center will allow a photographer, I suppose I should ask! There is so much intelligence in the eyes, beautiful photos =)
donvino
So beautiful birds, wonderful shots.
Ladyhawk
WHOA!! BEAUTIFULLY SHOT!!! & you wern't going to post this ,smack smack lol;0P yes this is a Swainson's hawk,it's a second year light phase, this is better then pertty much every guide I've seen, & thats alot,stunning compo,these birds as well as other raptor's are used as animal totem's, & animal guides,1 of mine is the red tailed hawk,BRAVO!!!!!(V)!!!!!0) @-}-- @-}-- if you'd like to find your or about animal guides or totem's my fave place is http://ladyinblack.com/animals/index.html my other 2 are the raccoon & coyote a very cool site & info
TwoPynts
jcv2
Wonderful work! That look in its eyes! Incredible! Very impressive, Kort!