Raptor I.D.

[wooly]

I don't know what the heck kinda hawk this is, but the thing was almost snow white even on it's back,
He caught me by surprise today with a low fly-bye, but I wasn't anticipating a bird in flight shot.

He's been hanging around one of the goldenrod fields I like to hike, so hopefully I can get some closeer pics and find out what he is. Anybody know off the top of your head?

 

[fasteddie]

I got out the big book and it looks like it resembles a Northern Harrier ...........

[wooly]

Thanks Eddie, that looks like it could be a strong possibility!

No wonder I didn't recognize it...... I've never even heard of one of those!

I'm not very good with birds.

[ny hunter]

Could it be a GOSHAWK?

[wooly]

Yep- I think you nailed it Ed!

Looks like they're not overly common in this area, so this was a great sighting for me!

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7090.html

[fasteddie]

Here are a couple pics I found of Northern Harriers

 

 

[Pygmy]

Eddie nailed it... Sure looks like a light phase northern harrier to me. They can vary from nearly white to a fairly dark grey/brown.

We have lots of them here in the southern tier. Probably the most numerous medium/large hawk next to the ubiquitous redtails.

In many cases they are very easy to ID. They have a relatively long tail and long pointed wings and are very often seen gliding LOW over hay or weed fields hunting mice. They have a very conspicuous white patch on thier rump, which is often easy to see because they fly so low when they hunt.

Other than that I don't know much about them...<wink>...

[wooly]

Now I really feel like a dumby.... thanks Pygmy,lol

 

[Doewhacker]

I love to watch Harriers do their hunting, really different style.

My pops went to a Raptor fest near me today and came home with some great shots of Harriers and a bunch of others.

[Lawdwaz]

Wooly.........Livingston County??

[wooly]

Wooly.........Livingston County??

 

Southern Erie Lawdwaz.

Maybe they're more common than I thought.., but this is the first one I've ever seen around here.

I'm usually pretty good at noticing stuff like that, but maybe I've somehow been missing them.

[Pygmy]

 

Southern Erie Lawdwaz.

Maybe they're more common than I thought.., but this is the first one I've ever seen around here.

I'm usually pretty good at noticing stuff like that, but maybe I've somehow been missing them.

 

Don't let it bother you Wooley, perhaps we just have more of them down here along the Pennsyltucky Frontier...<<grin>>..

HOWEVER, as a lifelong wildlife observer, there is a phenomenon I have noticed more than once, with more than one species.

You will spot a bird that you have NEVER seen before in all of your time outdoors. You will identify it...And then after you know what you are looking at/for, you will begin to see that species on a regular basis.

An example...Until I was perhaps 40 years old, I was unaware of the presence of the red bellied woodpecker. Then I had one land on my suet feeder. What a brilliant, unmistakable bird ! After I had seen my "first" one and learned to recognize it's habits and calls, I began to see and hear them all over the place. Now I see them on nearly a daily basis when I am in the woods..

I think that sometimes until you are aware that a certain species exists in your area, you sometimes tend to mistake them for other species that you are familiar with. By the same token I suspect that I mistook rough legged hawks, who are winter visitors here but spend the spring/summer/fall in the artic, for red tails , and mistook short eared owls ( another winter visitor) for some kind of hawk, until I learned of thier existence and learned the fieldmarks of identifying them.

Enjoying nature is a lifetime learning experience.

[Mr.Zach]

That is a great picture by the way!  Birds can be tough to photograph, but you did really well for being surprised!