Bird News Friday 15th March

5 Brambling were visiting a garden in Pirrie Road off the Belmont Road in Belfast this morning. (Philip West).

The blue phase Snow Goose is still at Lough MacNean, 38 Golden Plover, 120 Fieldfare and 25 Redwing were at Monea in Co. Fermanagh . (Brad Robson).

The Ring-billed Gull was still at the East Strand in Portrush, a 3rd winter Iceland Gull was near the visitors centre at the Giant’s Causeway, a 1st winter Iceland Gull was at Ballintoy and the 3rd winter Glaucous Gull was still at Ballycastle. (Colin Guy).

5 Purple Sandpiper were at Pickie in Bangor (Richard Moore).

Thanks to todays photographers, to Alistair Prentice for the picture of the Redpoll, to Christine Cassidy for the pictures of the male Siskin and the female one-eyed Siskin and the Whooper Swans and to Chris Colhoun for the pictures of the Dunnock and the Blue Tit. You can see more NI bird photographs at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Short-tailed Hawk, Yes!

Short-tailed Hawk, dark morph, adult. We saw this one recently in Ft. Myers, FL. Lucky us!

Here's a Short-tailed Hawk, light morph.

Short-tailed Hawk, light morph adult. We have seen two of these together this year over Bailey Tract, Sanibel, FL. double lucky us!

Saw the above Short-tailed Hawk, dark morph adult, soaring over a park in Ft. Myers, FL a few days ago when I was photographing the Least Bittern. 

Short-tailed Hawk, is a sought-after Florida speciality for birders and not easy to see. This bird breeds primarily in southern and central Florida and a little in southern AZ and south TX. 

The Short-tailed Hawk comes in two morphs, a light morph, shown here, and a dark morph. Dark-morphs are dark below with blackish brown body and wing coverts, paler flight feathers and tail, and dark trailing edge to wings. Short-tailed Hawks mostly soar and may hang in one spot for a time. We almost always see them in flight when we encounter them.