Sunday, October 19, 2008

Some Recent Hawk Photos

Cape May Morning

"The Rips"

The bird below is a hatch year Northern Harrier. You can see the rich colors of the bird's breast, which look even vivid in the hand than in the field. The facial discs, which aid the harrier's hearing, are also apparent.

Lately we have been banding more adult accipiters. The Cooper's Hawk below is mostly in adult plumage but appears to have a few hatch year feathers on its back. An adult's plumage is much more colorful than a juvenile's.