Originally Posted By Ursula I was walking to the car yesterday and saw the most magnificent bird. Husband took the trash out on the way to the car and missed it. (The trash is the other way around.) The thing is, I DON'T know what I saw and why on earth it was hanging around an apartment building. It was the size of a large cat. Dark brown on the top half, and spotted light ecru on the bottom. Looked like a hawk, but seemed too large (fat?) to be one. Had a tail that looked like a flat fan. It stared me straight in the face and I assumed it was domesticated as it seemed really interested in me. Any ideas what it could be?
Originally Posted By -em I was going to say eagle. Least it sounds prettier than the ugly mutated ducks I have in the complex here
Originally Posted By Ursula It had the coloring of this sandpiper: <a href="http://sites.butler-bremer.com/web/kladage/Kip's%20Comments%20Jan-May%202007.htm" target="_blank">http://sites.butler-bremer.com...2007.htm</a> But the body of this hawk: <a href="http://images.new-jersey-birds.com/uploaded_images/Hawk-714266.jpg" target="_blank">http://images.new-jersey-birds...4266.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By DAR Here's what I know about birds: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0GtRI4Ulo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...GtRI4Ulo</a>
Originally Posted By Ursula <<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...GtRI4Ulo>" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...4Ulo></a> Oh, my ears!
Originally Posted By iamsally Hey Urs,may I call you Urs? Rod here, Ruthies Rod. It sounds to me like what you saw was a juvenile Red-tailed hawk. The size seems about right and the coloring seems pretty close, as does the tail shape. They change color in their 2nd and 3rd years. But I could be wrong. I've heard it said that if you claim any bird you see is a Finch, you'll be ring 80%of the time!
Originally Posted By iamsally That should be RIGHT 80% of the time. Someday they'll let me go back to school and I can learn how to spell!
Originally Posted By Ursula Well, it was too huge for a finch. I looked at hawks on the google and I didn't quite see any that looked like it. I don't know what is a brown thrasher?
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt I was thinking the same thing Rod. The young ones are friendly. I see one a few times a week while mtn biking it flys within 3 ft of me. I just waiting for it to hop on my handle bars!!
Originally Posted By ophellia it's so hard to tell when in the young stages...it really does sound like some kind of Hawk...Don and Lillian Stokes, bird experts, have a FB page, maybe they can help?
Originally Posted By ophellia it's so hard to tell when in the young stages...it really does sound like some kind of Hawk...Don and Lillian Stokes, bird experts, have a FB page, maybe they can help?
Originally Posted By Ursula I wish I got a picture of it. I've been looking for it ever since and he/she's flown away.
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt maybe? <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.greglasley.net/Images/Broad-winged-Hawk-F1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://abednego-ghanasyama.blogslivehost.in/100502/&h=725&w=496&sz=81&tbnid=RIhoDeSnX1eWdM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpicture%2Bof%2Bbroad%2Bwing%2Bhawk&hl=en&usg=__WXjdaHRJZPMPkYidsosswVn9eN8=&sa=X&ei=XeZiTPOKD4ecsQPtnNihCA&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQ9QEwAw" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/imgres?i...AQ9QEwAw</a>
