ML544695081

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

See supportive pics. As I finished my walk, I noticed what appeared to be a black bird soaring just to my southwest. At first, I thought it might be a TUVU (I had seen one earlier) but it wasn't flying with wings held in a dihedral. I watched as it flew northwest with a cycle of circling/soaring and then flapping with deep, controlled wingbeats and soaring again. It reminded me of an eagle, except it was completely black and not as large. The tail was wedge-shaped and the neck and bill looked robust. At that point, my brain fully recognized that I was seeing a species I've never found in all my years walking and exploring the Southern Kettle Moraine - a CORA! I grabbed my camera and hastily started clicking pics, but camera was having a tough time against the white, cloudy sky. These photos were the best I could manage. In between watching with binoculars and trying to click a photo, I was stoked to hear the bird utter a series of three deep-sounding "croaks". Total observation time was approximately 3 minutes. This is exciting because it is said that juvenile CORA disperse in Fall/Winter, but logically have to return at some point to their origins farther north. This bird could be one of those deliberately returning individuals or a bird that is still wandering.

Technical information

Model

SM-G950U

ISO

160

Focal length

4.3 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/1.7

Shutter speed

1/60 sec

Dimensions

2652 pixels x 2061 pixels

Original file size

2.71 MB