I had an amazing Sunday morning of bird photography!
Red-headed Woodpecker in Upstate NY.Juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker in Upstate NYEarly on I was taking some really long distance photos of this Sharp-shinned Hawk. While I was taking other photos, the hawk flew closer and landed on this perch right in front of me! UPDATE 3/19/14: Thanks to Ryan J Bass who commented and pointed out that this is likely a Red-shouldered Hawk, not a Sharpie. I think he is right – any other opinions? I really wanted to get a shot of this hawk in flight, but he flew away from me and I got this photo just as he was landing on another dead tree.There was a pair of Green Herons about 25 in front of me. I didn’t take any photos of them because they were all in shadows…until they started hunting.A happy, full Green Heron in upstate NY.A Northern Flicker landed right above my head.American Goldfinch in upstate NY.Here’s a brighter male American Goldfinch.Ruby-throated Hummingbird in upstate NY..This pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers seemed to be striking a pose for me.One last one of a Red-headed Woodpecker. What a treat to see these birds.
4 thoughts on “Upstate NY – 8/26/12”
Hi Matt,
I follow your blog quite regularly. I was searching on Google for info on birding Denning’s Point in Beacon, when I came across this post on the same page in the archives.
Hawks can be a tricky subject, especially immature ones. I’ve seen some experienced birders get into ID tussles on the message boards. Anyway, I think the bird in the above photos is an immature Red-shouldered Hawk, not a Sharp-shinned Hawk. RSHA is often mistaken for members of the Accipiter genus based on their relative small size, when in fact they are a Buteo. Immature hawks typically have that confusing brown above, white w/streaking below with lots of variations. The standout plumage differences that I find in your photo are the blotchy thick streaking, a smudgy white eyebrow, pale face, and buffy crescents on the upper wing. The structure is also too stocky for SSHA.
It is a tricky subject, so you may wish to get another opinion.
Cheers,
Ryan
Ryan,
Thanks for commenting, I wish more folks would help me with IDs. Looking at it now after your comment it seems pretty likely that it is a RSHA, I’m almost wondering what made me think Sharpie at the time? It’s been a while, so I’m not really sure. Nice to hear from you, I hope you will continue to comment. Matt
Matt, glad you found it helpful. Personally, I’ve found that my experience with a bird in the field is often different than my experience with a bird in the photo.
Ryan,
I agree with that, and I was also thinking that I did this post over a year and a half ago – I’ve learned a lot since then.
Hi Matt,
I follow your blog quite regularly. I was searching on Google for info on birding Denning’s Point in Beacon, when I came across this post on the same page in the archives.
Hawks can be a tricky subject, especially immature ones. I’ve seen some experienced birders get into ID tussles on the message boards. Anyway, I think the bird in the above photos is an immature Red-shouldered Hawk, not a Sharp-shinned Hawk. RSHA is often mistaken for members of the Accipiter genus based on their relative small size, when in fact they are a Buteo. Immature hawks typically have that confusing brown above, white w/streaking below with lots of variations. The standout plumage differences that I find in your photo are the blotchy thick streaking, a smudgy white eyebrow, pale face, and buffy crescents on the upper wing. The structure is also too stocky for SSHA.
It is a tricky subject, so you may wish to get another opinion.
Cheers,
Ryan
Ryan,
Thanks for commenting, I wish more folks would help me with IDs. Looking at it now after your comment it seems pretty likely that it is a RSHA, I’m almost wondering what made me think Sharpie at the time? It’s been a while, so I’m not really sure. Nice to hear from you, I hope you will continue to comment. Matt
Matt, glad you found it helpful. Personally, I’ve found that my experience with a bird in the field is often different than my experience with a bird in the photo.
Ryan,
I agree with that, and I was also thinking that I did this post over a year and a half ago – I’ve learned a lot since then.
Matt