Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk

Bald Eagle and Red-tailed HawkAnother day at the IBSP Hawk Watch yielded a total of
233 raptors of ten species including 188 Red-tailed Hawks and 4 Bald Eagles. This shot represents one of those rare times when a Bald Eagle and a Red-tailed Hawk are close enough to get in one shot.

Its not hard to see the significant size difference between them. And yet, at a mile or so distance, its not always quite so easy! We first spotted these birds a LONG way out. In fact, the only bird initially visible was the eagle. Then, as if they just beamed in, three, then five Red-tailed Hawks appeared with the eagle. In reality, they appeared because they were initially so far away and so high that they were invisible, even to high power optics!

There was no animosity between these birds as they approached - still at significant height - and finally went over, literally right above us. Unfortunately that doesn't happen all that often (the directly overhead part) so it was great to see them there. This particular Bald Eagle is an adult, which can be determined because of the white head and tail and otherwise dark brown body and wings.

Other raptors seen today were as follows:
Turkey Vulture - 2
Bald Eagle - 4
Northern Harrier - 11
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 11
Cooper's Hawk - 4
Northern Goshawk - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 7
Red-tailed Hawk - 188
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
American Kestrel - 1
Total - 232