I hear hawks crying out more often than I see them. Quite often when I do manage to spot one, it is soaring high in the sky and my photos show only the underside of the hawk.
Last week, however, I managed to capture this image of a hawk as it flew by at treetop level at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I think that the bird is a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), but I must confess that I sometimes have trouble distinguishing between Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks.
It almost looks like I was at eye level with the hawk when I took this photo, but I can confirm that my feet were firmly planted on the ground at that moment. I love the way that I was able to capture both wings in good positions as the hawk was flying and the determined, intensely-focused look on its face.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
That’s a great photo, Mike. I see hawks flying hig around here, but they almost always head for a branch deep within a bunch of trees.
Great shot! I’d say it’s a red shoulder hawk because of the striped tail, but it does look kind of bulky, so it could be an immature red tail. On the move it’s often hard to tell. I do love the intensity of the face, particularly the eyes.
Your thoughts are the same as mine. Earlier in the day I got multiple shots of an immature Red-tailed Hawk and I kept asking myself as I looked at this photo if it might be the same bird. Thanks for your comments–identification can be tricky and I have heard experts go back and forth when trying to identify a particular bird. 🙂
I know ID isn’t always easy. I remember a trip we went on when I was a post-bach in college. Our two professors argued about ID on one of the birds we saw and it was never settled. All of us students were wondering what we were supposed to put in our life lists. It was frustrating, but also pretty funny!
🙂 “Experts” can get pretty agitated. I’m ok living with uncertainty.
I know ID isn’t always easy. I remember a trip we went on when I was a post-bach in college. Our two professors argued about ID on one of the birds we saw and it was never settled. All of us students were wondering what we were supposed to put in our life lists. It was frustrating, but also pretty funny!