ML80859701

Age and sex

Unknown age, Unknown sex - X

Media notes

Photo by Laurens Halsey; presumably a sub-adult based on tail feather patterns from active molt

Observation details

This is TBRC #1989-179, TPRF #833 and the same bird referred to in the 3rd ed. of the T.O.S. Checklist (1995) which listed it as a 1st accepted record for TX. Photos by Laurens Halsey. From my notes, 4 of us flushed a small buteo from "a Huisache tree and it quickly disappeared around a bend in the road. It flew away with deep, fast wingbeats. We flushed it a second time when we rounded the bend, and this time it gave two or three calls and proceeded to rise on a thermal, circling higher and higher for several minutes. It ultimately disappeared" only to reappear a short time later "out of the west, gliding towards us down the road on flattened wings. It passed close overhead as if to return to where we had first flushed it. It then circled once or twice losing altitude, before banking toward the river and vanishing". Location was "1/2 to 3/4 miles down the road in the ranch or just before the road opens up into the field". Last known sighting was Jul 28 (by whom I don't know). My notes of this "light morph sub-adult" bird include the following: "The underbody was completely white; that is the throat, breast, belly, and vent regions were clear of any streaks, bars, or smudges. The only dark body markings we discerned from below were the extensions of dark "cheek" patches which invaded down from the head and neck but stopped short of the throat.. This gave us the impression of a hood broken sharply at the throat. The tail seemed composed of two groups of feathers in different stages of wear or plumage..." etc. etc. I have more details available. We were certain of our ID and that Swainson's Hawk was eliminated. For one thing just by the way this hawk glided on flat wings. At the time, Greg Lasley sent copies of the photos to Bill Clark, Brian Wheeler, Kenn Kaufman, and others and all concurred with the identification.

Technical information

Model

DMC-FZ150

ISO

400

Focal length

4.5 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/2.8

Shutter speed

1/60 sec

Dimensions

2030 pixels x 2030 pixels

Original file size

683.73 KB