ML22171741

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

***RARE, very exciting. Bird spotted by Janet Kovner, first seen perched on top of one of the dirt piles. Scope views convinced us it was not a RTHA; wrong shape, very dark brown back, brown-and-white face. Our next thought was RLHA, and when the bird took off, we noted a lanky shape with narrower wings than a Red-tail. But we immediately noticed the two-toned underwing (white underwing coverts, flight feathers entirely dark, not just a dark trailing edge) and the absence of the dark carpal patches we would have expected on a Rough-leg. Wings appeared very pointy in flight. Four notched primaries clearly visible in photos. The bird circled overhead for several minutes, giving me, Janet Kovner, Nancy Given, and Mark Resendes good views. It then moved off over a slightly different part of the sanctuary, flying right over Andy Hrycyna, Paul Bain, and Geoff Wilson, who were birding the brushy perimeter of the landfill. Andy and Mark both got photos of the bird. My group followed the bird in binoculars as it flew away, quite high, heading north. It eventually dropped down, probably somewhere around Nahant.

Technical information

Original file size

1.97 MB