March 15, 2026
The Big Dead-Fish Clean-Up
A huge thank you to the volunteers who pitched in yesterday to remove all those dead fish from the Celery…
Nature Done Wright
Incorporating the Celery Farm and Screech Owl Companion blogs
January 7, 2011
Red-tail or Red-shoulder?
I am so used to having Red-tails perch in the Celery Farm near my bird feeders that when the large hawk above perched in several trees near the feeders, I just assumed this guy was a Red-tail, too.
But as long-time Celery Farmer Joe Lafferty pointed out in an e-mail, he has never seen an immature Red-tail without a belly band. He thinks it's a Red-shoulder. Now I am thinking he is right. Anyone else care to weigh in?
Just goes to show: Never assume… It makes an …
The good news is I really needed a Red-shouldered for my 2011 yard list.
5 comments
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Shoulder
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i did look at these photos a few times yesterday, wondering if this bird was just “squished” downwards due to being cold and in the snow. i went the wrong way, though, wondering if it was an accipiter, and then discounted that due to the length of the tail. don’t know why i didn’t think red-shoulder.
i spent an inordinate amount of time distracted by what seems to be a little patch of red behind the eye. i was thinking it was a digital artifact on the closeup, but i see hints of it on the longer shot as well behind the other eye.
is this some kind of field mark i didn’t know about yet? remnants from an earlier meal? -
Help….. 🙂
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Jim, there’s been no sign of you here on the blog for several hours. I hope he didn’t decide you were the right-sized meal…
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wow, Jim – great photo. Look at the intensity in his eye!
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5 comments
Deedeeburnside
Shoulder
julie mccall
i did look at these photos a few times yesterday, wondering if this bird was just “squished” downwards due to being cold and in the snow. i went the wrong way, though, wondering if it was an accipiter, and then discounted that due to the length of the tail. don’t know why i didn’t think red-shoulder.
i spent an inordinate amount of time distracted by what seems to be a little patch of red behind the eye. i was thinking it was a digital artifact on the closeup, but i see hints of it on the longer shot as well behind the other eye.
is this some kind of field mark i didn’t know about yet? remnants from an earlier meal?
wrightjamesb@gmail.com
Help….. 🙂
julie mccall
Jim, there’s been no sign of you here on the blog for several hours. I hope he didn’t decide you were the right-sized meal…
Maureen
wow, Jim – great photo. Look at the intensity in his eye!