ML92891381

Age and sex

Adult, Unknown sex - X

Media notes

Individual 3. Very regular tail end, with apparently just 1 dark subterminal band; patagials seem to include a larger dark area than on Individual 2.

Observation details

All observations of light-morph adults, seen singly. Careful comparison of photos establishes a minimu of three individuals based on differences in appearance, mainly tail. At 1047 I saw a distant Buteo in flight, far W of me, heading S; photos determined it to be an adult RTHA. One seen at ca 1210 circling over the diversion area with occasional flaps; it then flew roughly S, where I lost sight of it. At 1248 I noted one circling upstream of me, moderately distant. At 1305, one flew over heading upstream with alternating flaps and glides; then it circled, more or less distant upstream. At 1527, I saw 1 TUVU and 1 adult light-morph RTHA ("Individual 1") both soaring over the grassland N of reach 3 with gentle E breeze and weak sun. Another Buteo (RTHA?) seen higher in the same vicinity, but it glided distant N before I could ID it. At 1531, I saw a second TUVU alternately glide and flap over this area, lower, heading W. At 1545, I saw one ("Individual 2") circling with alternate flaps and glides over reach 4, then just soaring and gaining altitude over the W part of reach 4. At 1550, I saw a subadult BAEA and a RTHA ("Individual 3") circling over the Head Lane area, neither flapping. Over the next few minutes they drifted gradually W, still circling, reaching the W part of reach 4. By 1556 they were still circling over reach 3 or reach 4 but were much higher; there was full sun.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P900

ISO

250

Focal length

214 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.3

Shutter speed

1/500 sec

Dimensions

4608 pixels x 3456 pixels

Original file size

6.02 MB