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Posted by Paul-the-other on 11:55:11 08/13/06
Let's get the strange out of the way first: 6:00PM last night a hawk landed in the Australian Pines across the cananl from Hoechoka Hammock area. The white on the throat and underbelly was so bright in the setting sun that at first I though it was a osprey. The jays, mockers took up the alarm and the dove froze.(Naturally no binoculars and camera) After ten minutes in launched into a glide and swooped on the millet feeder and the dove broke like quail in all directions. The hawk seemed to be half-hearted in that it never took up wing beats but was all glide. His perch was about 45 feet above ground level and the bird feeder is about 5 feet. As the bird closed on the dove it took note of me, swerved to the side and away from me displaying an extremely white throat and a distinctive belly band. The tail was not shaded red. The bird appeared very close to the image p 123 Sibley. Thayers had no image that approached what I saw. Some 15 -25 doves flying at and around me distracted me from the tail shape sighting. As I stood up to mark the birds flight an immature spotted oriole (very bright orange yellow but small spots) broke cover ands flew past. A real two-for.
Sunday morning, 7:45 the hue and cry began again in the hammock and two of us carefully matched the direction of attention of the mockers (6) and jays (25) cardinals (1) Thrasher (1) to a Paradise tree. And there was the mystery bird again. The belly band was so obvious and the white chest and neck were totally white unblemished by any color. The bird was undisturbed by the commotion but focused on our approach. He sat low on the branch and the angle of view blocked the tail. We stalked and circled but because it is a hammock there were always trees blocking a good view. The back coloration was medium dark, speckled white with no obvious pattern. We noted a call but couldn't attribute it to the hawk as most all the jays in Hoechoka Hammock can mimic a red shouldered perfectly or close to perfect. Figuring that we might as well flush it and get a look at the tail we began our approach to the bird but were startled by.....no not the oriole...but a redstart, first of the season. Our joint exclamation startled the hawk (you don't want us on a quiet walk) so we contented ourselves with the redstart.
Whatever this bird is, it knows that the feeders mean doves and pigeons (excuse me, rock dove). My guess is it will linger.
My guess on the bird? Sure fits the southwestern red-tailed but that would be a little too out of the ordinary. I tend to want to go for a more local resident and then say abberation as opposed to reaching out for the extraordinary first. So Darling Dee Dee, how about some help here. Get your never miss camera up here and see what we have here. (Dee Dee is a lurker and occasional poster but never misses with her camera.)
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