Another hawk in the neighborhood

Camellia bloom (Camellia japonica)

(Photo credit - Rob J)

-Click here for info on camellias-

(A big thank you to Vicki for correcting my misidentification of the above flower)

This afternoon I located another Red-tailed Hawk in the neighborhood. I was walking from Empire Boulevard through the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to the north entrance on Eastern Parkway. As I passed the Native Flora section the white underside of a perched hawk caught my eye. A Red-tailed Hawk was sitting in a mature beech tree. At first, I assumed that it was the same bird that I had watched in Prospect Park this past Monday. Once I had him in my bins it was clear that he was a different individual.

The smallish hawk has an extremely pale face with a pronounced supercillium. Half of his tail still has the brown banding of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. When he flew a short distance I saw that the feathering at the base of his tail was showing the namesake red coloration. Most Red-tailed Hawks develop their brick-red tail in their second year. I presume that this individual is nearing his second birthday. Also, unlike most of the local hawks that I’ve observed, this bird was not tolerant of close approach.

-Click here for info on bird topography-

Snowdrop close-up

(Photo credit - Rob J)

When I was walking home, I was startled by a low flying Red-tailed Hawk near the Upper pool. She was only about fifteen feet above the ground. The largest red-tailed that I’ve seen in a while, I’m pretty sure that she was Big Mama.

Acorn and sycamore seeds in a crack

(Photo credit - Rob J)

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Prospect Park & BBG, 2/9/2006
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Bufflehead (2, Upper pool.)
Cooper's Hawk (imm. BBG.)
Red-tailed Hawk (1, BBG. 1, Long Meadow.)
American Coot
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Picnic area.)
Hairy Woodpecker (1, Vale. 1, Litchfield Villa.)
Black-capped Chickadee (Fairly common.)
Tufted Titmouse (Fairly common.)
White-breasted Nuthatch (2.)
Winter Wren (Midwood.)
Hermit Thrush (Aralia Grove.)
White-throated Sparrow (Common.)
Dark-eyed Junco (Fairly common.)
American Goldfinch (Several.)

Other common species seen (or heard):
Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, American Robin, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow