Birds and Nature

This is just a brief video clip of the adult Zone-tailed Hawk I photographed yesterday while it was perched in a tree. Not much action, just how this bird looked around and up to monitor it's surroundings. SeEtta

Yesterday I spotted a Zone-tailed Hawk perched at mid-day in the thicket at Frontera Audubon in Weslaco, TX. I did not get a usable photo as the hawk flushed right after I got a reasonable look at it. So when I returned at dusk to see if this hawk would return to roost I tried to be even more careful as I try hard to avoid flushing perching hawks and especially if they are likely going to roost. I didn't find it at Frontera but in the area. Darn this is a spooky bird--with a split second after I spotted it, this hawk spotted me and flushed again. Arggh. Today I returned to the area around Frontera Audubon and again spotted a Zone-tailed Hawk perched. This time I was even more stealth and managed to get all of these photos and got to watch it for about 15 minutes. It really watched what was happening around it, looking around and up in the air repeatedly. Right after a vulture flew in close to it the Zone-tailed Hawk flew off, whether or not bothered by the close fly...

While I was birding on Blue Heaven Road just a few hundred yards south of the Paton's yard I spotted this raptor that looked like a possible Zone-tailed Hawk. It was an adult Zone-tail--showing it's barred remiges, bright yellow cere and white tail bands in this photo- but it's feathers were in pretty condition. I looked up info on their molt cycle on Birds of North America online which noted that this was not well understood for this species but, "In Arizona, primaries and tail are renewed in Aug." That certainly fits for this bird.  Features can be seen better by clicking on photo to enlarge it.  SeEtta

This is one of the pics I got during the second time I watched the Zone-tailed Hawk flew in at low altitude over Anzalduas County Park today. One of the wide white tail bands shows nicely in this pic. SeEtta

Today while birding in an area of Anzalduas County Park with a lot of trees am adult Zone-tailed Hawk essentially strafed (like an airplane) the area coming down to just above the tree tops (less than 75 feet). I had a good look at it and saw 2 white bars on it's tail. I did not have my camera with me I didn't get a photo. I looked for another birder who had been looking for a Zone-tailed Hawk and we spent another hour or so looking for one. Finally this one was spotted by a third birder as it flew in across the Rio Grande River to just above the park and I got a few quick flight shots. This second observation today was almost as brief as the first as the hawk turned a few flight feathers and zipped right out of there. The pic in the post above is the best. SeEtta

Since the rainy weather was ending at the west side of the Lower Rio Grande Valley this afternoon, I drove out to Anzalduas County Park. Since there had been a lot of rain the birds in the park were still in their cover so I scanned the trees on the other side of the Rio Grande River with my spotting scope. I soon spotted this Zone-tailed Hawk perched in a tree along the shore. It was pretty distant, about 600 feet across but I got good views in my spotting scope. I saw it's bright yellow cere, black head and body. When it turned to face in my direction I could see at least two white tail bands, one quite wide and one at end of tail. It is clearly an adult. I expected the hawk as well as other birds of prey and vultures had soaked wings so I figured it would remain on the perch for awhile, especially since it continued to be cloudy and cool so it would take longer for the feathers to dry. So I called one birder who had previously emailed me asking me to call if I saw the ...

I got done with some things a little early so stopped at Frontera Audubon early tonight and found the adult Zone-tailed apparently already on it's roost. It was cloudy but since it was earlier there was more light for pics--good thing as I had to photograph the hawk from a more distant location (as on other occasions I could have gotten closer but did not want to risk disturbing it). This is another location from where I found the adult Zone-tailed Hawk roosting last night so apparently it is not going to be possible to provide a roost location, especially one that is not going to disturb the roosting hawk, for the many other birders who are interested in seeing this rare hawk. I will discontinuing posting about sightings of this hawk on Texbirds sites. SeEtta

After days of cloudy and frequently mist-rainy skies, the sun was out when I got to Frontera Audubon this morning so all the vultures and (presumably, as I saw no raptors perched in the trees) the Zone-tailed Hawk were up flying and searching for food. So I decided to return around 6 pm to see if I could find either the adult or juvenile on their evening roost. When I returned I first spotted a Gray Hawk perched in a tree near Frontera Audubon Center, the first I have seen around there in the past 2 weeks. Then, just before 6:15 p.m. I spotted this adult Zone-tailed Hawk perched. I took photos and just watched the hawk for about 15 minutes until it was too dark to see it. It was very attentive as some vultures flew in nearby and turned it's head to watch them. I could still make out is silhouette when I left in full darkness. SeEtta

I found this Zone-tailed Hawk this afternoon perched in a tree on Frontera Audubon Center's property. As soon as I spotted it I knew it was a Zone-tailed Hawk-it had the jizz . When I got my binoculars on it I could see it has a blackish head and body, a black bill with bright yellow cere, yellow feet, and white lores (white forehead was not visible in the field or in my photos). Also as characteristic of Zone-tails, this perched bird shows it's long wings extend past the tail (easily seen in bottom pic). Though I erroneously identified the juvenile Zone-tailed seen in the afternoon on Dec. 26 as an adult, this one is definitely an adult: it has white bands on the ventral (underside) of it's tail. So there are two Zone-tailed Hawks at Frontera Audubon, this adult and the juvenile that I posted about earlier (note: photos can be enlarged for even closer viewing by double clicking on them) SeEtta