The white face is what I was looking at… but Chuck, keep talking to me. I’m not convinced… only amazed how close I could get. I was comparing with this and others in the MacCaulay library. In flight there was no red in the tail, but I kept staring at the beak… also all around it just seemed a tad bit smaller than a red tail.
Re: Swainson’s hawk, Hummers
Liz,
With the white chest, I believe this is a young Red-tail.
Here’s,
Chuck Trost
Always forward, never straight…
Re: Swainson’s hawk, Hummers
Meant to chime in earlier – had a whining Swainson in a neighboring field last weekend, with what looked to be two adults perched up in the nearby poplars. Then today, upon pulling into our driveway, was a juvenile perched by our newly mown meadow. Not shy at all, he let me get fairly close. He pounced on something that must have escaped, then took off for the trees. What a dapper gent.
Liz Medes
Gem County
Re: Good news
Two thumbs up.
Good news
Birds won in court yesterday.
This was on Audobon’s IG feed. Great quote from the ruling judge, “It is not only a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is also a crime.”
Liz Medes
Emmett
Re: Swainson’s hawk, Hummers
Seeing and hearing Swainson’s in our west Boise hood atop tall evergreens, but at Eagle Island State Park recently three were right above me, close, in cottonwoods screaming bloody murder
Hummer report for our yard…..
looks, sounds, feels like we’re about at peak migration? with our expected three species, nearly all Black-chins, occasional Calliope, and an immature male? Rufous trying to claim our back yard
10-20-30 hums total ? and we’re just trying to avoid the crossfire 😉
Larry
Re: ? Swainsons SE Boise
I’m still hearing young Swainson’s Hawks calling for mom and dad to bring them food. And they seem to like perching in the top of evergreens. Red-tails, on the other hand, seem to be beyond that stage.
Tom McCabe, Boise
? Swainsons SE Boise
Have been hearing a raptor call incessantly for last few days. Today walked up Howe to Colorado & there it was atop a pine tree. Didn’t have binos with me so not completely sure of ID but sounds like a kid’s whistle over & over again. Large & brown…Swainson’s?
New pesticides impacting US birds
Whatever happened to the old saying, “Better living through science?” Coating seeds with neonicotinoid appears to be a two-edged sword.
New Breeding Bird on Place
Got a new breeding bird & an example of nest parasitism all in one setting, just a bit ago. Was watching my Hummer feeder & kept hearing a persistent “zzz zzz” call. Looked on the ground beneath seed feeder & saw 4 Lincoln’s Sparrows & one larger brownish-streaked bird. And one of the Lincoln’s was busy feeding the larger bird. Took me a minute to figure out what was going on.
Finally, realized a Lincoln’s Sparrow was doing everything it could to keep up with the appetite of a juv BH Cowbird! So, my first documented Lincoln’s Sparrow nesting on place, plus another species being parasitized by BH Cowbird on place. All in one setting.
Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot