Hawk in Newport Beach, CA backbay???? (1 Viewer)

[anotherAMG]

Thank you for making a forum as great as this. I am new to it, but have been looking around and this thread is PERFECT...so I joined.

I live in Newport Beach, Ca. There is a bird sanctuary on the front of my house with a still saltwater bay (Newport Beach back bay). This awesome looking bird showed up to the rich vegetation of 50 foot tall birch trees, plants, and flowers 2 weeks ago. It has called a limb on a birch tree outside of my 3rd floor bedroom window home. It returns several times a day to the perch, has huge talons with yellow feet. It has to be some kind of hawk. It flies with a large wingspan and often uses wind currents to sit still up high and hunt. From the droppings left on the hood of my car |=(| there are mice bones in it.

Any help would be amazing!!!!!

Thanks for the forum again.

-Joel

Image Attached

 

[anotherAMG]

Sorry for the sideways image. Do we have red tailed hawks in the region?

 

[Grousemore]

Red shouldered it is.

 

[mrmanning]

A red Shouldered. Cool bird!

 

[ceasar]

Sorry for the sideways image. Do we have red tailed hawks in the region?

I deleted my previous message by mistake. Just restating here that it is a Red-shouldered Hawk. There are Red-tailed Hawks in your region but they have a different chest pattern than the one on the hawk shown here.

As I noted before: Welcome to Bird Forum!:hi:

Bob

 

[wuzupdoc]

I think I saw that bird on Monday April 12 2011- I have a picture that I will go back to look at. I originally thought it was a coopers I was looking at as it flew over the shorebirds there.
PC can someone look at a flycatcher picture I posted on surfbirds from the exact same area?

 

[Jim M.]

Joel,

I can't be sure from the photo what it is--other than that it's an immature hawk. Might be a RSHA but might also be a Cooper's--tail seems long and legs thin for RSHA and doesn't seem particularly bulky.

See if you can get more photos if you want a definite ID (at least from me).

Best,
Jim

 

[redcardinals]

You did well to get a pick of that hawk. I was recently in Padre Island Texas and I believe I spotted a Swainson hawk.. I think their quite rare in that part of the world too. But blast I couldn't get a decent pic of it.

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[Hawk Man]

I live in Cypress and this is happening here right now!! There is a Hawk's nest at the top of a very tall Eucalyptus tree behind the house across the street from me. One of the birds is hitting people in the head and scratching scalps as it swoops down from its perch to protect the nest. It apperenty does not like people anywhere near the nest and has designated a wide area to be a "No Walk" zone!! It basically owns this area round the nest right now. I was able to get a good shot of it in the tree outside of my bedroom window. I have a photo for anyone interested. Email me at: [email protected]

 

[ceasar]

Have you heard their calls or vocalizations? A Red-shouldered Hawk is very vocal and it's call is something like kee-yair or kee-aah and is repeated to establish territory or give warnings. (from Wheeler's Western Edition--p. 235)

A Cooper's Hawk's call is a nasal kek-kek-kek when "alarmed or agitated." p. 183 above. It notes that their nests are well hidden.

Bob

 

[Hawk Man]

No calls or vocalization yet. The nest is well hidden but can be seen if you walk into the right position. It appears to be quite large. I am going to try to get my hands on a 600mm lens to get a good photo of the nest and occupants. The one photo that I do have is a shot from last year.

 

[Hawk Man]

I can post photo here but can't figure out how to do it.

 

[Hawk Man]

This is the Hawk that is guarding the nest.

 

[Steve Schoech]

Do you have a shot that includes the tail?

 

[ceasar]

It is an accipiter and it isn't a Goshawk. I'm not speculating any further than that. Keep listening for it's vocalizations.

Bob

 

[Microtus]

In southern California, Sharp-shinned Hawks nest only in the mountains, and are rare at that season. Hawk Man, your bird is therefore very likely a Cooper's Hawk. Also, my first impression is that it is a Cooper's Hawk.

 

[Hawk Man]

No shot that includes the tail, unfortunately. The Hawk landed on the tree branch right outside my bedroom window about 20 feet from the house, so I ran for my camera. I was lucky to get this shot because right after I tripped the shutter, he flew off. I am going to rent a 600mm lens and will try for another shot this weekend.

Bob

 

[Hawk Man]

Apparently, a teenage girl was walking her dog down the sidewalk yesterday and was attacked. She was wearing a tank-top and was scratched on the upper arm about 3 inches long. Drew a little blood, but not serious. The sidewalk is approximately 40 feet from the sidewalk. As a side note, this bird is a juvenile.

 

[Hawk Man]

Mother and baby seen circling high above the nest on this crystal-clear Monday morning. Vocalizations are starting to be heard this evening around 7:30 p.m.

 

[Hawk Man]

Many baby Swallows starting to appear. Several Swallow nests around the neighborhood under the eaves of houses.