Birds and Nature

I hadn't been back to Frontera Audubon Center since it looked like the Zone-tailed Hawks would not be perching or roosting in same locations that could be shared with the many other birders who were interested in seeing them. I returned yesterday afternoon and was told that both the juvenile and adult Zone-tailed Hawks had been seen in the past week or so near the pond viewed from Audubon Frontera where I had photographed them previously. I found this juvenile Zone-tail perched in a tree on the other side of the pond from Frontera at 3:40 pm. Thanks to staff member on duty Chris Warren who was willing to stay past the 4 pm closing to accommodate viewing of the hawk by others who were there to look for it, a group of 9-10 birders (including several from England) were able to view, photograph and videotape this bird also. Note: I believe there are likely two juvenile Zone-tailed Hawks frequenting Frontera Audubon as the photos I have taken do seem to show juveniles with s...

Short video clip of the juvenile Zone-tailed Hawk I spotted perched in a deciduous tree in the El Zacatel,TX area. The hawk demonstrates a high level of attentiveness to other birds/etc around it as it turns repeatedly to look around providing nice views of it's plumage and characteristics. Video can be enlarged to fit screen for close-up viewing by clicking on box in far bottom right above. More in posts above. SeEtta

A Zone-tailed a day keeps the doldrums away--that's how it's worked so far even on a cold rainy day like today. I did drive over to Frontera Audubon Center and spotted the juvenile Zone-tailed Hawk perched at mid-morning (like many vultures were doing due to the weather that does not provide the lift for low energy flight). It was located way behind some branches on a deciduous tree, one that this time still has some leaves on it that help obscure the hawk. I was concerned that in order to get better photos I risked disturbing the hawk and flushing it so made due with these. Previously I had seen this hawk in deciduous trees without leaves and that makes getting good photos a lot more likely. It has used a number of trees both deciduous and palm so always a question where I might find it. The hawks head is totally obscured in this bottom pic but it shows the juvenile tail patterning nicely. SeEtta

These are photos I got of the juvenile Zone-tailed Hawk that I spotted at a pond day before yesterday. It was there to drink water--it drank about 8-10 times while I watched. Kind of surprising as I have never seen a hawk drinking water. Clearly these photos show the most detail of any I have taken. They show that the hawk's right eye has something wrong with it that causes it to bulge. In looking at these photos I have realized that I was mistaken in thinking that there were two Zone-tailed Hawks. The bulging eye photographed at some angles of view gave the impression that the bird was a different hawk; now I believe there is only one Zone-tailed, a juvenile. It is interesting that all that white on this hawk's chest was not evident in the other photos--distance from the bird and lighting conditions would have been involved. SeEtta

The top pic gives a good view of the undertail feathers that in juvenile Zone-tailed Hawks is whitish with narrow black bands. The middle pic is even more interesting as the hawk is stretching it's right wing which allows unusual views of the underside of it's flight feathers that are whitish with black barring. The 'fingers' at the end of it's wing really extend far below it's tail. The last pic is just fun--the hawk has it's foot stretched up to it's bill as it scratches an itch. SeEtta

I found this juvenile Zone-tailed Hawk this morning while doing the Weslaco,TX Christmas Bird Count. This neotropical hawk is a regular visitor to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of TX. After first finding it at 9:30 this morning, it flew off. I was very surprised to spot it again late this afternoon at 5 p.m. not far from where I saw it this morning. SeEtta