Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Raptor Wednesday

Circling Red-tailed Hawk.
While a Green Heron keeps an eye on it.
A few minutes later, probably the same Red-tailed.
Being read the Riot Act by a pair of Northern Mockingbirds.
Nearly an hour later, I heard some American Robins sounding the alarm and looked up into a black oak. But the culprit was on the ground.
With a Gray Squirrel for lunch.
This russety throat made me think this was a juvenile bird, but it had the red tail feathers of an adult after all.
An hour and a half after my first encounter with the first Red-tail, I was back in that area. The hawk had moved to a nearby tree, and so had one of the Mockingbirds.

mthew

2 responses to “Raptor Wednesday”

  1. gkleing3

    Likely molting?

    Reply
    1. mthew

      Yes, gaps in tail and wings show the missing feathers where the old ones have dropped out. Also, molting is something that happens after breeding, so timing is good, too.

      Reply

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