Is this an osprey? (1 Viewer)

[gsimonel]

I was out hiking in Rockefeller State Park yesterday. It's in the lower Hudson region of NY state. I was in a wide open grassy area bordered by woods about 1 1/2 miles from the Hudson River. There were two birds circling high overhead at about the same height. One was clearly a red-tailed hawk. The other was about the same size. I asumed it was a red tail, too, until I got home and looked at the photos in close up. Now I'm convinced it's something else, but I'm not sure what. Could this be an osprey? If it was, what was it doing hanging out with a red-tailed hawk and hovering over a grassy field?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Welcome to BirdForum. Your bird looks like an immature Bald Eagle.

 

[AveryBartels]

This is a young Bald Eagle. Note the long projection of the head, overall darker plumage and bulkier over all appearance

 

[gsimonel]

Thank you, Avery. The wings were certainly very flat. And it would make more sense to see an eagle hovering over a grass field than an osprey.

 

[Butty]

Characteristically scrappy/blotchy plumage-pattern of immature bald eagle.
Habitat isn't an issue - ospreys can turn up anywhere at all.

The other was about the same size.

Something operating there to affect perception: in fact, it was much bigger.

 

[nartreb]

Easy mistake to make. Less than a week ago I was looking at a group of gulls milling around when I noticed one bird that was different: darker and with different plumage patterns. "Osprey", I announced aloud, only to realize a few seconds later that it was in fact a bald eagle at a little distance beyond the gulls.
I mention this mostly as an excuse to name-drop the lake where this happened: Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

 

[MacNara]

the lake where this happened: Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

There are bald eagles in Wales?

 

[AveryBartels]

Thank you, Avery. The wings were certainly very flat. And it would make more sense to see an eagle hovering over a grass field than an osprey.

Just a note on terminology: when referring to raptors "hovering" that usually means flapping/fluttering wings to hold itself in place in the sky, for example like a Kestrel or White-tailed Kite, or a Kingfisher for that matter, when they are locked onto prey. I presume (given that Bald Eagles don't, to the best of my knowledge, hover) that you meant to say "soaring". Behaviour such as this can be a useful part of making an identification (especially without a photo) so good to be on top of the appropriate terminology

 

[gsimonel]

HI Avery. Thank you for the clarification.

And I'll let my kids know that I'm not hovering over them when they are doing their homework, I'm soaring.

 

[rollingthunder]

I have a Mouse that hovers.....in fact it's doing it right now ;-)

Laurie -

 

[Owlbarred]

To the contrary, bald eagles most certainly do hover, particularly over a large assemblage of ducks, which I've seen dozens of time in central FL over the years. Not common by any means, but it certainly does occur.