ML609767123

Observation details

1st cycle POJA viewed with Dave Haenni, Christian & Conway Hawn. We watched the bird slowly soaring overhead near our position at shelter #9, steadily gaining altitude & heading south until out of scope view. Just a beast of a bird with a powerful flight style. Thick-necked & barrel-chested. Golden-bronze head (lacking a pale collar) & chocolate-brown upperwing & back. Checkered underwing contrasting with relatively plain light brown body. Uppertail & undertail coverts pale with fairly heavy, straight barring. Excellent looks at the spread wings in flight, clearly showing the white patches at base of primaries & primary coverts. Pale shafts on outer primaries fairly prominent & diagnostic for POJA from photos.