ML182660161

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Second documented record for San Clemente Island. Photos by NJD. Nicole first pointed out this medium-sized raptor shooting into the willows, apparently Peregrine-sized. It then shot out and into another patch at which point it became clear we were dealing with an Accipiter. It perched briefly in the open, I got it in the scope, and we both agreed it looked good for a Cooper's Hawk based on size and head projection. It then made a low pass over the water, flushing a few shorebirds and Horned Larks, then to our surprise began just slowly circling overhead, gaining altitude before disappearing. We had it in view for what felt like perhaps 3 minutes at this point. This juvenile Accipiter showed a long rounded tail, thin streaks on the under parts, white lower belly and undertail, and a large head projecting in front of the wings. The wings were paddle-shaped but with a straight leading edge. This combination of field marks (evident as well from Nicole's photos), eliminate the regularly encountered Sharp-shinned Hawk, and provide evidence for just the second documented record of Cooper's Hawk for San Clemente Island. While I and others have seen birds that were likely Cooper's Hawks, views were too brief and no photos were taken. One, another juvenile, was captured on a game cam aimed at a bird bath on 22 October 2018, establishing the first confirmed record for SCI. See here for those images: https://ebird.org/checklist/S49516434

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

100

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/800 sec

Dimensions

2560 pixels x 1707 pixels

Original file size

1001.99 KB