View Full Version : My new best frien...er, Falcon
He sits on a limb about 4' outside my window. I think it's a Peregrine but I'm not positive.
Pat
Looks like a Kestrel the Peregrine falcon has a hooded head
I think your right,, Peregrine.
The Kestrel has a brown jacket.
And it's a young one.
It hasn't developed the black mask & hat..
Do you have breading Peregrines in the area?
Or maybe a migrating bird, headed South for the Winter?
Very graceful & beautiful birds.
They pass by our rock when migrating.
Jack Moroney (RIP)
10-18-2008, 05:31
Nice shot. Looks more like an immature Sharpie to me as it is missing the characteristic side-burns of the Peregrine.
blue02hd
10-18-2008, 06:09
I always thought Peregrines were taller, with smaller hands, smell like cabbage? Or am I thinking of the rare and elusive Peregrino??
Team Sergeant
10-18-2008, 08:52
Merlin, or Sharp Shinned Hawk....;)
Ok folks, if you want to know what "The Look" is take another look at the Hawk.
He's giving "The Look" of "If you stick your finger out the window I'm going to rip it clear off up to the shoulder."
Do you have breading Peregrines in the area?
There are Peregrines nearby on the Palos Verde Peninsula.
Below is a shot of my buddy from last year. He was sitting on the fence and I got with in 3' or so while I was cleaning and filling the hot tub. He just watched patiently for about 15 minutes. I went upstairs to take a picture of him and he took off just as I shot. Shy I guess. :D
Pat
greenberetTFS
10-18-2008, 09:47
Don't know what it is,but it sure is a beautiful shot......:cool:
Don't know what it is,but it sure is a beautiful shot......:cool:
Thanks. I was just lucky. I've been trying to get a good shot of them for the last 3 years and this guy (in the first post) is the only one that cooperated.
Pat
Team Sergeant
10-18-2008, 09:58
Looks like it could also be a Coopers Hawk. Do you have bird feeders or neighbors have them?
Look at some of the last photos on this link, look at the eye color.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/tgrey41/CoopersHawk9.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/tgrey41/Pages/CoopersHawkp.html&h=600&w=551&sz=141&hl=en&start=2&usg=__sl0PW-LM9zZUtvoyBf2VHlV20bk=&tbnid=9k3llQXRR1lQUM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcoopers%2Bhawk%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26 sa%3DG
Team Sergeant
10-18-2008, 10:05
He sits on a limb about 4' outside my window. I think it's a Peregrine but I'm not positive.
Pat
Peregrine Falcon, look at this photo his eyes are black, you cannot mistake the "hood" and the lines on his chest flow in a horizontal pattern:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/peregrine-falcon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/peregrine-falcon.html&h=450&w=365&sz=30&hl=en&start=1&um=1&usg=__sDR8pK60HIzG5FvjJbI3gEBU-DY=&tbnid=nB6VTpLGic4TWM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfalcon%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom .microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26sa%3DN
Looks like it could also be a Coopers Hawk. Do you have bird feeders or neighbors have them?
Look at some of the last photos on this link, look at the eye color.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/tgrey41/CoopersHawk9.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/tgrey41/Pages/CoopersHawkp.html&h=600&w=551&sz=141&hl=en&start=2&usg=__sl0PW-LM9zZUtvoyBf2VHlV20bk=&tbnid=9k3llQXRR1lQUM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcoopers%2Bhawk%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26 sa%3DG
That looks dead on, TS. In flight, though, they have pointed wingtips instead of the feathered tips like hawks. I've been trying to identify it by "voice" but they are very quiet.
Our backdoor neighbor does have a feeder. Last year I saw one snatch a sparrow, in flight, that had just finished dinning on the free seed. The biggest change in recent years is that we have squirrels now.
Pat
Team Sergeant
10-18-2008, 10:18
That looks dead on, TS. In flight, though, they have pointed wingtips instead of the feathered tips like hawks. I've been trying to identify it by "voice" but they are very quiet.
Our backdoor neighbor does have a feeder. Last year I saw one snatch a sparrow, in flight, that had just finished dinning on the free seed. The biggest change in recent years is that we have squirrels now.
Pat
Thought so..... feeders work both ways, they feed the prey the hawks eat...;)
When that feeder goes so will he. If you want to keep him around set up another feeder in an "open" area where he has a clear attack path to the feeder....;) Also, go and look for a nest up high in your trees, if he's around all the time he probably lives close by. (I know all this because we used to have a family of Coopers nesting in our yard (South Carolina))
Falcons have the pointed wing tips, real pointed tips. Built for speed and the fasest flying animal on the planet(Peregrine Falcon). The Coopers wing tips can fool one sometimes. Like Peregrine Falcon's the Coopers eat birds and need to be fast but their attack usually comes as the birds are sitting or close to flight. The Peregrine Falcon will take birds from the air at any given time. Its the cheetah in the air.
Thought so..... feeders work both ways, they feed the prey the hawks eat...;)
When that feeder goes so will he. If you want to keep him around set up another feeder in an "open" area where he has a clear attack path to the feeder....;) Also, go and look for a nest up high in your trees, if he's around all the time he probably lives close by. (I know all this because we used to have a family of Coopers nesting in our yard (South Carolina))
The feeder has been there about 23 years, so far. The woman is a bit of a bird nut. :D They still have a double lot, as does our neighbor on the east, so it does have a pretty good killing field.
Is this what retirement is like? I'm spending my time watching hawks, squirrels, and crows fight in my neighbor's yard. :D
Pat
Looks like it could also be a Coopers Hawk.
I stand corrected,, TS has the eye...
greenberetTFS
10-18-2008, 11:16
The feeder has been there about 23 years, so far. The woman is a bit of a bird nut. :D They still have a double lot, as does our neighbor on the east, so it does have a pretty good killing field.
Is this what retirement is like? I'm spending my time watching hawks, squirrels, and crows fight in my neighbor's yard. :D
Pat
Bless you Pat, you have finally come to the realization of retirement...... ;)
GB TFS :munchin
Jack Moroney (RIP)
10-18-2008, 12:34
Cooper's and Sharpie's are difficult to tell apart, particularly in the immature plumage. The Sharpie is a mini-me of the cooper. Other than size the biggest easily identified difference is the tail. The cooper has a rounded tail while the sharpie's is notched. Your initial picture shows clearly a notched tail which would indicate to me that this is a Sharp Shinned Hawk (sharpie)
Cooper's and Sharpie's are difficult to tell apart, particularly in the immature plumage. The Sharpie is a mini-me of the cooper. Other than size the biggest easily identified difference is the tail. The cooper has a rounded tail while the sharpie's is notched. Your initial picture shows clearly a notched tail which would indicate to me that this is a Sharp Shinned Hawk (sharpie)
Hmmm. It seems that bird watching is a lot tougher than I thought. :D I think I'll throw a tri-tip in the smoker. :lifter
A couple of profile shots below.
Pat
Hmmm. It seems that bird watching is a lot tougher than I thought. :D I think I'll throw a tri-tip in the smoker. :lifter
A couple of profile shots below.
Pat
Pat,
What beautiful pic's!:lifter
A family member of mine recently pruchased a baby Conure, bread in captivity. Birds are amazing creatures, for sure!:)
Holly
Plutarch
10-19-2008, 07:48
There is an excellent PBS video entitled 'Raptor Force'. They manage to attach micro cameras to various raptors so that you can get an actual birds eye view of their flight.
Watching the stoop of a peregrine firsthand was amazing.
Here is the link to the video, and a youtube clip from it.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/raptor-force/introduction/1109/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8DGIYJdfU
This guy, or his replacement, just few into the house. My wife was knitting in her office, off the back deck, and he flew in through the slider, around the room, and then out the way he came in, after bouncing off the glass. I think her scream scared it. :D
Pat
Utah Bob
08-14-2010, 18:35
Is this what retirement is like? :D
Pat
It can be one of the benefits.:)
My vote is for a Merlin.