Althouse: The hawk at 7:52 a.m.

January 18, 2023

The hawk at 7:52 a.m.

16 comments:

rcocean said...: talk about blending in.; 1/18/23, 8:53 AM
Owen said...: Awesome pic!; 1/18/23, 8:58 AM
Third Coast said...: Looks like an immature broad-winged hawk.; 1/18/23, 9:25 AM
rehajm said...: You can't see me...; 1/18/23, 9:29 AM
Heartless Aztec said...: I have one that lives on my property along the St Johns River in North Florida. Thanksgiving Day as the guests were arriving Mr Gray Hawk snagged a 4'-5' long black racer snake and while endeavoring to gain altitude dragged it - still wiggling - across the hood of a nieces jeep driving between the huge live oaks that flank the driveway. She had a meltdown.; 1/18/23, 9:33 AM
rehajm said...: Here's a good feed on how the voting irregularities were treated. FOIA requests come up empty.

...right in the ol' circular file. They only had to stall long enough for people got bored of it all...IOW about the Thursday after Election Day...; 1/18/23, 9:41 AM
Ann Althouse said...: He flew to that tree after flying right in front of me and landing on the ground. He was less than 5 feet away from me in flight. It was rather startling but very cool.; 1/18/23, 10:11 AM
Eric Stahlfeld said...: I would think it’s a Cooper’s Hawk, juvenile. Very long tail compared to primary feathers. I would expect a broad-winged to be in South America right now. White on back is consistent with Cooper’s, as is eye color. Malar stripe is different, I agree.; 1/18/23, 10:15 AM
Wince said...: Althouse said...
He was less than 5 feet away from me in flight. It was rather startling but very cool.

Recounting your experience with Andrew Callaghan or the raptor?; 1/18/23, 10:23 AM
typingtalker said...: Now, if we could train the hawks to eat the deer ... we could have a garden again.

I wonder if they (the deer) have ever considered hunting in packs/flocks.; 1/18/23, 10:35 AM
farmgirl said...: Very cool, indeed! What a neat gift.
As for the snake? I’d have had a meltdown, too!!!; 1/18/23, 11:09 AM
Scott Patton said...: Was it cold and windy?; 1/18/23, 11:24 AM
Jaq said...: If it's not a Coopers Hawk, it is doing a pretty good impression of one

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/photo-gallery/305687791; 1/18/23, 12:10 PM
Heartless Aztec said...: Hawks and owls are both cool customers.; 1/18/23, 1:36 PM
Mark said...: While I agree with Third Coast that it looks like an immature Broad Wing hawk, usually it is Coopers Hawks around here during winter.

Given she saw it close up, Ann could probably confirm Coopers Hawk if it had a striped Rust/white chest or not. IME, that is a striking enough feature that it's hard not note notice the beauty of it.; 1/18/23, 8:28 PM
amr said...: Absolutely a Cooper's Hawk, and a juvenile (hatched spring 2022).

A Broad-winged:
a) would not be in Wisconsin this time of year, as their diet is mostly invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Most leave the US (a few do remain in southern Florida). Coops feed mostly on other birds and are fond of "feeder birds".
b) would have a shorter tail with less striping if a juvenile, or more black-and-white striping in an adult.
c) would have wings that are longer (extend further down the back when folded)
d) wouldn't show those white feathers making spots on the back
e) wouldn't have those dark stripes on the throat

The rusty-white breast mentioned by Mark at 8:28pm would be seen in adult Coops (not juveniles), which would also have a bluish-gray back rather than this grayish-brown, and wouldn't have as stripy a head.; 1/19/23, 7:47 AM