Photo of the Week: Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

Large dark-brown hawk with white specking on back and dark banded tail perched on the crossbar of a wooden utility pole looks over its shoulder and down at the trail below.

On this morning’s Washtenaw Audubon birding hike through Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we had an interesting encounter with a young Red-tailed Hawk.

One of our group of 20+ folks spotted the hawk from a good distance away, perched on the crossbow of a utility pole adjacent to the trail.

We carefully watched from afar as one of the more advanced birders in the group quickly identified it as a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.

How could they tell so quickly it was a juvenile? And a Red-tailed Hawk?

Continue reading Photo of the Week: Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

Photo of the Week: Red-tailed Hawk

brown and white hawk perched on the end of bare branch, blue sky in background.

After a week of gray cloudy skies followed by two days of freezing cold weather and snow flurries, it was wonderful to wake up this morning to clear blue skies and a bright shining sun.

Which meant I spent most of my day birdwatching, looking for:

  • Whooping Crane (found it!)
  • Golden Eagle (no luck)
  • Migrating waterfowl
  • Sandhill Cranes (hundreds!)
  • Birds that overwinter in Michigan

I had a successful day! Continue reading Photo of the Week: Red-tailed Hawk