ML287838181
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
I ran into Kimball Garrett at Quail Lake. He had a candidate adult dark phase RLHA (listed here as Buteo sp.). A bit later we got distant but definitive looks at a light phase Rough Leg. This bird was approximately 0.8 - 1.0 mile in distance so it is difficult to be sure if this was an adult or immature, but I think probably adult. It was hunting over the ridge north of the lake. The most obvious feature was the white tail with broad black tip from above and below and wide, black belly band. The undersides of the primaries and secondaries were white with black ends, creating a black border around wing. There were prominent black patches on primary coverts at the bend of the wing. There was a slight white flash on the upper primaries (but much less so than on nearby FEHA). Overall the bird had cold tones and lacked reddish or warm brownish colors, at least at that distance. The shape and flight style were distinctive, although I don't know RLHA well enough for them to be diagnostic for me. The bird flew with the wings elevated. From the front they looked "crooked" at the bend of the wing. The flight style was floppy with the wings appearing long and rounded. The bird spent a lot of time hovering / gliding in one spot. Compared to nearby FEHA (which quiver their wings) this bird used slow floppy wingbeats to stay in one spot and slow, subtle adjustments.
Technical information
- Camera
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 11.35 MB