haley_'s Favorites

Aberrant coloration. At first we thought it was a N. fasciata x N. clarkii hybrid but the dorsal pattern is too banded (not stripey) and the ventral pattern is unstriped but not plain, albeit very low contrast (orange vs yellow half-moons). Compare a few other "hypomelanistic" N. fasciata from nearby:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67151325

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/109373290

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70033204

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67151325

The hawks were acting aggressive and now I see there was a zone-tailed hawk overhead. I was not able to ID the hawks at the time because of the glare of the sun and distance from me and they were overhead for about a second.

Seen while completing plant monitoring with Steve W in the Hole-in-the-Donut, Restoration Area 2003 in Everglades National Park. Location is accurate.

More info about this amazing area here: https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/hidprogram.htm

Project that includes most of the restoration areas: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/everglades-national-park-hole-in-the-donut-restoration

My other observations from today: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?locale=en&nelat=25.398646842491186&nelng=-80.59314029341964&on=2023-01-21&order=asc&place_id=any&preferred_place_id=127553&swlat=25.190675134137837&swlng=-80.80188052779464&user_id=joemdo

Adult light morph Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk - tail is mottled, bird is very cold toned, upper parts darker than a Krider’s. Patagials are also very dark and the back of the head is streaked. It is the most lightly marked, cleanest below, Harlan's that I have ever encountered.

I am making this observation for the bird that the GBH is eating.. not to be graphic but I saw the whole process of it killing and eating the bird which was really astonishing. The pictures at the end of the set are more helpful than those at the beginning

Trying to figure out if these are both the same species. Engaged in aerial battle for about 15 minutes. One of them was noticeably smaller and actively chasing the larger one. Is it a sharp-shinned hawk chasing a cooper's hawk? If so, I will create a separate observation for each individual. I'm fairly certain the larger hawk is a cooper's as I have observed a similar individual in the same area recently. If the other is a sharp-shinned, this observation will be for the cooper's hawk.

Dark leading edge of wing from shoulder to wrist and red tail, both characteristics of red-tailed hawk. Dark wrists, dark belly and dark tail band, all characteristic of rough-legged hawk. Other characteristics appeared to be a mix between the two species. May be same individual I photographed in 2020.