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Posted by Robin Diaz on 14:17:43 01/08/08
While doing a preliminary survey of DERM's restoration project on Virginia Key, I had 2 sightings of a (the?) Great Black-Hawk. I studied it for ~8 minutes after slowly sneaking to within 50 yards of its perched position. The features were easily seen, as well as field marks making this urubitinga (nominate) race. Note: short tail with narrow white terminal band, long yellow legs, yellow cere with yellow bleeding into lores and little or no barring on the upper legs. The hawk vocalized 7 times, giving a fairly high-pitched, plaintive, descending whine. It flew NW where I caught up with it again but it stayed put < 3 minutes. The hawk remains low when flying but the large white area on the basal half of the tail is easily seen. This is the main feature separating this race from the northern, or ridgwayi race.
As usual, my through-the-bins shots are nothing like Tricia, Larry and Trey's photos! My little point n' shoot wanted to pick up the sky as a focal point.
There were good birds in the area, including 2 Broad-winged Hawks, Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches and warblers. A nesting Red-shouldered Hawk seemed unperturbed by the black-hawk's presence.
Directions: From Rickenbacker Causeway, turn north onto Arthur Lamb Jr. Road, heading toward Virginia Key Beach. The black-hawk was seen 1 mile north of the pay station, on the west side of the road. The entire area on the west side of the road is posted but the swale is wide and allows enough room to pull off the road.
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