On Saturday, February 18, Bill and I had
taken our dog to visit the Thurman Hutchins Park. It is a 53 acre park in
Louisville, and sits between the Ohio River on River Road and Interstate 71. We
had just pulled into the main parking area, when I spotted what appeared to be a
second year Red-Shouldered Hawk.
At first it was perched on a lamp post, but
quickly moved closer to me and perched in a nearby tree. I observed it and
photographed it for several minutes when it flew in my direction, landing and
missing a meal at the base of tall reed grasses in front of me. It was one of
those moments, when I was barely even breathing, so as not to frighten it, and
that is when it flew in my direction once again and it was such a magnificent
looking bird!
Pete Gustas is a friend of mine on Facebook
and has been very helpful to me in the past, when I was having difficulty with
Raptor ID. He has created a special page on Facebook, whereby Raptor enthusiasts can
share their images, called "Riff Raff". Since seeing this hawk at the park, I had shared 3 of the
images that I had taken, and then this past Saturday shared a 4th image on his
site.
This was to turn out to be something very special!
Pete contacted me and stated... "The
Red-Shouldered Hawk you posted on Riff Raff is a very interesting bird. It has
too many bands to be a R-S. The underside body plumage is also not R-S." He
further shared that he had sent my photo to some Raptor experts and they
were of the thinking that this was a possible Red-Shouldered / Red-tailed
hybrid. He asked me to send him more images and that one thing they would be
looking at is the underside of the wings, and if it had a patagial mark, that
would confirm a Red-Shouldered / Red-tailed hybrid.
Of special note too, was Pete stated..." This is a very rare occurrence."
Jerry Liguori is the premier Raptor ID person
in the country and almost all difficult Raptor ID's are passed by him from all
other leading experts. He is the author of 2 Raptor ID guides "Hawks From Every
Angle" and "Hawks at a Distance". Mr. Liguori and Pete
happen to be very good friends! Thanks to Pete for getting my images to Jerry
and he was able to make the final verdict, after careful consideration and
looking over the shared images, that this hawk indeed is a rare Red-Shouldered /
Red-tailed Hybrid... how awesome!!!
Pete called it an "Amazing Find ", as well as
an " EXCELLENT find and documentation Mary!! " I am so thankful to Pete for
paying such close attention to the entries on this site and that he questioned
the species of this particular hawk. One comment made was in question form...
"Surely this cannot be the first documented incident of hybridization of these
two species?" Pete's answer was "This has been previously documented a couple of
times that I know of."
Another mutual friend Vic Berardi , also a
Raptor photographer and enthusiast said "Holy Moly!! What a cool photo!!
Outstanding you got this shot Mary, thanks for sharing!! And thanks to you Pete
for following up on this bird with JL. I just want to stare at this all
day...;)"
Another mutual friend on Facebook Jeff Bouton said "This is wild!! What a crazy plumage… has completed its flight feather molt but is showing a light breast with streaks, and no sign of the adult barred breast. If I'd seen this Mary, I'd have been thinking hybrid or something. Even if the breast plumage can be explained away due to retained juvenile body feathering, I don't typically see such light breasted R-S Hawks even in immature plumage. This is a REAL unique bird!"
It is also a bit serendipitous, in that I had
not even shared any of these images on my blog yet...guess there was good
reason, once the facts became clear on this bird's ID.
Bill took me
back to the park today. I traipsed all around the place,
listening for a call from a hawk, Blue Jays, or Crows making any vocalization and it was
as still as the fallen snow. I will try and check on the hawk as often as I am
able, but the park is a good 30 to 45 minute drive away and the chances of me
seeing it again...well, we never know, do
we~
Special appreciation to:
Mr. Pete Gustas and Mr. Jerry Liguori~
Great find, a beautiful looking hawk! Congrats on this rare sighting!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting this is for you, Mary! You have captured some outstanding photos of this gorgeous hybrid. I particularly like the flight shots. He is a beautiful bird.
ReplyDeleteMary, those shots are absolutely amazing, especially the ones of the bird in flight! That had to me a fantastic experience, and it couldn't have happened to anyone better!
ReplyDeletegorgeous shots and in flight, as well! how very cool! i'm so glad you're linking in to WBW with this hybrid. his buff colored chest is really cool against his dark head and shoulders. :)
ReplyDeleteI love these photos! Excellent Job! I felt like I could reach out and touch this bird!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots. Congrats. Especially like the flying photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots. I especially like the flying ones! Congrats.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteVery strange and given all the attention you give hawks, it is well deserved to find such a rarity like this...
Wonderfully rare collection of this strange hawk Mary and fascinating to read and view. Love the photographs as always.
ReplyDeleteWell done Mary, firstly for taking such excellent photogrpahs that the hawk experts could study the bird in such detail. Secondly, thanks for explaning the whole story so well. I can tell from your description how excited you were with this find. What's next though, how do you follow that?
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the Hawk is beautiful, precious. The ones that are flying are so good, they definitely are.
ReplyDeleteHey, Mary, we're neighbors on World Bird Wednesday! I feel privileged.
ReplyDeleteFascinating shots,especially the last ones and a great post!! Keep up the good work (How's the pressure working?) Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post to read...and fantastic images of your lovely hawk... many thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! What a magnificent set of captures. The flight photos are simply breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteIf I may ask, what lens and exposure are you shooting?
Wow! What a special sighting! YOu got a lot of nice captures. I especially like that last flight shot.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see and photograph such a rare occurrence. Enjoyed reading your account and viewing your lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a story Mary! Thank heavens you were on your A game and brought home these amazingly detailed shots to document this strange amalgamation! Your picture taking and discerning eye just got some serious accolades. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteFantastic pictures. Crisp and clear. It is a very interesting bird.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to be there to capture this beauty! All I have around here is the Cooper's Hawk and you can see how the two differ by our shots!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's awesome, Mary! Congratulations! I'm very happy for you! Fantastic shots!
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos of this magnificent bird.
ReplyDeleteRegards and best wishes
Fantastic adventure Mary! It looks like all the time you spend with the Red-shoulders has paid off big time! You got some amazing ID shots for the experts to put it all together for you. Well done!
ReplyDelete