Went to Running Deer Natural Area in Fort Collins on a frustratingly windy day to search for hawks and sparrows. Struck out on the sparrows but I homered on the hawks. It started with a beautiful mahogany colored intermediate morph although it wouldn't still for very long. Saw this one three different times during my visit. Next, a striking all dark Harlan's Hawk made an appearance. I'm calling it Harlan's because of the smoky gray tail with a diffuse dark terminal band. I'm under the impression that a dark Harlan's usually show some white in the head or chest, but this one had no white at all. I could be wrong. The prize of the day? a striking Krider's Red-tail. It was far away 3 to 4 Hundred yards or so but I had good views through the scope. Its head was mostly white with only a dark malar and darkness near the eye, the underparts were clean off white no trace of a belly band. It was perched on the pole facing into the wind so I couldn't see much beyond that. When it flew off I saw its very pale pink tail and prominent white in the scapular and wing coverts. Took some photos but the distance and wind made them less than ideal. Im also showing a photo from two days ago of an unidentified raptor I saw in the same area. Wondering if its not the same Krider's? I saw all this from the old fire lookout in the Southeast corner of Running Deer. The lookout makes a nice comfortable blind for viewing, the birds don't seem to be as wary while in it.
-- Harlan's: https://www.flickr.com/photos/122221383@N05/13685317484/
Kriders: https://www.flickr.com/photos/122221383@N05/13685016843/
Unknown Raptor: https://www.flickr.com/photos/122221383@N05/13685016843/
David Wade
Fort Collins
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