Red-shouldered Hawk - 04 Feb 2014

I took advantage of the calm before the next big storm to head down to Pt. Mouillee to look for a Snowy Owl to photograph.  I put on the white coveralls, wrapped the camera in white fabric, and draped a white sheet over the scope/tripod setup and headed out.  Walking was easier today with the help of tire tracks along the Middle Causeway and no snow in the face.  However, things were very quiet this late afternoon day.  Skies were cloudy but no wind made walking easy.

I spotted this Red-shouldered Hawk in a tree along the Bad Creek Unit and digiscoped it from just behind the Pump House.  Been a long time since I've seen these cuties in this area... A Northern Flicker flying by was also a nice surprise.

I did not see any Snowy Owls, and only saw a Northern Harrier and 3 Bald Eagles.  On the way back to the car a small flock of 7 Tundra Swans flew overhead.  Though it was a quiet afternoon I enjoyed the walk.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 15), Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 4, 2014 8:00 AM - 10:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
6.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Cold, snowy, quiet
5 species

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)  7
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  3
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  1     in tree along Bad Creek Unit. Digiscoped. Buteo w/ red head and chest and mottled back.
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101217974

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