Jenner Hawk Migration Hike October 9th

Come out see some hawks, learn raptor identification, birds of prey natural history and have fun! Sign up with link below. Sunday October 9th 

Sign up here

Or copy and paste link below in browser 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jenner-headlands-preserve-fall-migration-guided-raptor-hike-registration-403817939327?utm-campaign=social%2Cemail&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing

2021 season dates coming! Tolay Lake Regional Park, Lynch Canyon Open Space, Jenner Headlands Preserve, Estero Americano Coastal Preserve...

 Stay tuned, dates coming for West County Hawkwatch 2021/2022 season !

2021 season dates coming!  

Tolay Lake Regional Park, 

Lynch Canyon Open Space, 

Jenner Headlands Preserve, 

Estero Americano Coastal Preserve... 

Will update soon! 

great information on Accipiter's. (tools for your tool kit) Wing Tips: Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks

Wing Tips: Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks: 

^ click link above for more helpful information 

The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) and Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) are two closely related birds of prey, and pose an identification challenge that some ornithologists used to consider unsolvable.

These two species belong to the genus Accipiter, which contains about 50 other species worldwide. Only one other accipiter, the Northern Goshawk, is found in the USA and Canada. Accipiters' short, rounded wings and long tails are well-adapted for maneuvers in forested habitats.

In today's post we'll discuss how to differentiate this duo while perched; many of these traits can be used for in-flight ID as well. One of the most important themes in this post is that no field mark is reliable on its own. Thus, let a majority of traits lead you to an identification. If there's no majority, it's better to be uncertain than inaccurate!

(all information is copyrighted to Wring-Tips)

This blog shares strategies to identify North American bird species, especially those found in the northeastern US.

Other topics include bird conservation trials and triumphs, general birding tips, and spotlights on avian life histories.
Wing Tips is written by Tessa Rhinehart.
---
Cover image: "Wandering Tattler" by Jason Crotty / licensed under CC BY 2.0
The name "Wing Tips" was inspired by Marc Radell, who came up with the phrase during a discussion about identifying broad-winged hawks in flight. Thanks, Marc!

Neat video for folks just getting into Birds of Prey "Raptor Identification Raptor ID for Beginners"

Click video link to watch YouTube video.

In this online presentation, Hawk Mountain Senior Research Biologist David Barber will walk you through the basics of identifying raptors in flight and share tips used by seasoned hawk watchers locally and around the globe.

An Inside Look: Raptor Migration

Join bird experts and trained hawkwatchers from Audubon Connecticut, Bedford Audubon Society, and Braddock Bay Raptor Research (plus a special guest appearance by a feathered friend) to learn how to identify raptors in flight, get information on participating in a "hawkwatch" to help scientists gather data, and discover some of the best viewing spots for fall migration.

Jenner Headlands with The Wildlands Conservancy - West County Hawkwatch at the Jenner Headlands Preserve 11-7-2020

Summary of 11-7-2020 at the Jenner Headlands Preserve. 

Big thanks to Jill and Sam for their help on the there hikes we did with The Wildlands Conservancy this season, thankful for the opportunity to share birds of prey with the enthusiastic public through our guided Raptor Hikes in 2020

Fun to see Susana and Anne along the way as well. 

(all photos copyright to original photographers, use here for non profit and educational purposes only, photos here shown from WCHW photo pool and not of actual birds from the day, rather just references to help those learning, what we saw and how to tell what they are)

West County HawkWatch Migration and Over-wintering tour / Jenner Headlands.  As promised below is some ID help on what we saw.

Day started out with Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrels  

Red-tailed Hawk. Large soaring hawk in the genus Buteo:

Dark hood, belly band, dark patagial bars (aka wing bars, on leading edge of wing) adult has brick red tail, (photo is below)

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, Dark hood, good belly band, dark patagial, and finely barred tail (below)

Next bird we discussed and viewed was the American Kestrel. This bird you can tell male from female by color, where as most other birds of prey male and female are the same color.  Male directly below, and Female below that.... notice the tails....

Right up past the eucalyptus grove we found a large buteo, largest buteo in North America, The Ferruginous Hawk, great looks at this large soaring hawk, it was an adult bird full of greys, some black and rust/orange tones on a overall tan/buff/light brown body. Key marks were the light colored grey head, one tone off white tail, orange leggings forming a "V" against the body, and the leading edge of the wing not a solid thick wing bar as a Red-tailed Hawk would have had, that is a distinguishing thing to use against Red-tailed and in identify a Ferruginous Hawk.

Top side view, aka Dorsal view (above)

Ventral View, aka bottom side view, legs for a V, unmarked chest, leading edge of wing does not have a solid wing bar (like a red-tailed hawks would) 

Ventral View, aka bottom side view, legs for a V, unmarked chest, leading edge of wing does not have a solid wing bar (like a red-tailed hawks would) 

Ventral View, aka bottom side view, legs for a V, unmarked chest, leading edge of wing does not have a solid wing bar (like a red-tailed hawks would) 

Here is a juvenile (directly above) for comparisons to the adult photos above this photo. Here the juvenile Ferruginous Hawk is more two tone; tan and brown and lacks the greys and rust/orange of the adults. Also notably the legging don't form a 'V' like in the adult. And last the tail has fine 'washed' out barring that the adults lack 

Photos of above are of Adult Ferruginous when perched up and close up, showing its magnificent colors, feathered leggings (only two other N.A. Birds of Prey posses feathered leggings) akso the Ferruginous hawk has a wide, big yellow gape.

In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird, and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together at the base of the beak. The width of the gape can be a factor in the choice of food.

Along the ridge we had good looks at a Northern Harrier, saw a few more throughout the day, The one we saw close was an adult female. 

male Northern Harrier ^ above

female Northern Harrier  ^ above 

Next came the Merlin! Fast, saw the Merlin dive on prey and fly away and come back and fly away even faster! ...at least 100 mph, literally vanished in front of our eyes! Little dark, speedy falcon. As photographed below. 

White-tailed Kite, (below) White, Grey, Black... saw at a distance and spotted by Jill, once we spotted them we were able to see some flight activity, similar to this below but it was at a great distance away.... It is a White-tailed Kite, but its form and shape are similar to a falcon's body shape.

White-tailed Kite, prey exchange.

Back near the barn we saw a Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. (like the one photographed below) 

above is both juvenile and adult Red-shouldered Hawk Reference material 

To end the day... as we were finalizing the days sightings and events, we had a Sharp-shinned Hawk slam into a group of sparrows right behind our cars! the sparrows got away but the Sharp-shinned Hawk made several follow up attempts, came up empty handed (talon'd) ... but I am sure that it eventually caught its dinner, very tenacious and determined bird. Small woodland hawk, know as an accipiter in the genius family and species is Sharp-shinned Hawk. Bird was a juvenile comprised of sooty greys and browns, small head, big eyed, squared tail, short winged, wristy looking (head not to far passed wrists in flight) bird... [Hawk!]

Great day! 

Will update this post again after proof reading and alignment verification, post read differently on different media platforms...

thanks for coming out, it was good fun, excitement and great company

sincerely. Larry B. West County Hawkwatch