I was leaving the farm where I had worked on some horses.
The bright mahogany red breast feathers of a red-shouldered hawk gleamed in the late afternoon light.
Quickly I threw my truck into park and jumped out, camera in hand.
What a beautiful way to end the day.
Pair of northern harriers: the “grey ghost” as he is known in the birding world and his mate.
The light bird, the “ghost” is the male.
Note how he indeed looks like a “ghost” of the beautifully colored female harrier.
What isn’t shown here is the topside of the grey ghost which is a subtly grey, elegant set of feathers.
I think he is called a ghost for the grey topside, the pale ghosting image of his bottom side and…
the grey ghost is elusive and seldom noticed.
The Grey Ghost has long been on my bucket list…now to get a portrait on him perched on a post displaying his grey topside…
the Grey Ghost
Here is a closeup of the harassed immature red-tailed hawk from this morning.
He is keeping a sharp eye on the squawking crows – who are just outside of the photo’s edge.
I watched him for close to an hour. He rested at several points but the crows would find him again. He finally yelled at the crows and flew up and over the trees, heading south. The hawk was not in any physical danger – the crows know just how far they can push the envelope. And the gangsters acknowledge the hawk’s ability to turn tail on a dime and strike them, although birds are not the red-tail’s preferred food. The crows also knew that this was an immature bird and that they were in less danger from it than if it had been an experienced mature bird. The hawk was frustrated but not hurt.
The gangster crows easily found this immature red-tailed hawk this morning.
I believe this may be a migrating hawk.
He didn’t seem to know the area and didn’t know how to evade the black menaces.
I saw several hawks today: red-tails, red-shoulders, and I believe a broad-winged hawk too.
The changing weather patterns up the northeast are driving the migratory birds south, early this year.
I always check out each bird in a vulture kettle.
The raptors of all sorts often soar in the thermals together.
This morning a red-tailed hawk joined the black vultures.
I happened to catch the two species at almost the same focal distance for a colorful photo.
doc ellen's journey 