OHIO-BIRDS Archives

January 2009

OHIO-BIRDS@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
David Holcomb <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
David Holcomb <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:45:57 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (45 lines)
Jen,
 
You cannot imagine the pressure! As a new birder I almost did not make the 
post because of my fear that I might have gotten it wrong. I send along 
two photos and if I have gotten it wrong please let me know ASAP so I can 
send out the "all clear".
 
Best.
 
David



Greetings David - 
 
I totally see where you called Northern Goshawk, but I hate to be the 
snowy-day-bearer-of-booo-news....
You've captured - very well - an adult male Northern Harrier - a species 
that is far more common than goshawk, and a regular open-field hunter. 
Both species are entirely gray above and grayish-white below, and both 
have long tails and a sleek posture. An adult goshawk, however, will have 
a strong dark (black) cheekpatch, and a very dark (blackish) crown, broken 
up by a fierce-looking white eyebrow. Goshawk is darker sooty-bluish-gray 
above without the mottling you see on the upperparts of your harrier. 
 
Also, an adult Gos, if you can get good looks, will have a demonly-red eye 
(very intimidating!), as opposed to the harrier's bright golden yellow 
eye. 
 
Glad you had a great day at Killdeer Plains. It definitely can be a 
photographer's heaven. Raptors galore!
 
best of birding to you - 
Jen

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2