I'd Rather B Birdin': KRIDER'S Hawk

Three different areas this week in birding. The first hotspot is a very small park along the bay. On this particular afternoon, the muddy shore was covered with laughing gulls and a huge group of black skimmers...

BLACK SKIMMERS
photos taken: Hans Suter Refuge
habitat map: Skimmer
length: 18 inches
wingspan: 14 inches

Another day in the week, I took another drive to Chapman Ranch. Along the main highway taken to get to the ranch property, on a power pole, I had to stop and make a U turn and pull into a private driveway to get off the road and open the window to get only two photos of the hawk before it flew off into the wild blue yonder. I believe it to be a white morph Red Tailed Hawk...a Krider's...another rarity, but I've seen them before; one other time in a different area of South Texas.

KRIDER'S HAWK
photos taken: Chapman Ranch
habitat map: Hawk
length: 19-25 inches
wingspan: 46-58 inches

Then, my last share in birding this week is another vagrant! This time, it's a continuing single bird at a refuge in Port Aransas Texas. During the Whooping Crane Festival, after attending, I took the ferry across the channel and stopped on the way home...as I pulled in to park the other birders were lined up like a scene from the movie "The Big Year"...I quickly got out and aimed high as it flew over [what seemed like, at the time, just for me -great timing on arrival!!] and then later it landed on the highest tower. A juvenile. One more rare species for this area of the United States as you can see by the habitat map linked below...

MEW GULL
photos taken: Port Aransas
habitat map: Gull
length: 16-18 inches
wingspan: 42 inches

Participating this week:

Travels With Birds
Lea: Eastern Bluebird
Birds Seen in Africa and Europe
Linda, Virginia, USA
Nature Footstep Photo Art
Phil, UK
Lavender Dreams
Rosyfinch Ramblings
Eileen
Tom the Back Roads Traveler
Lea's Menagerie
Sallie [Full Time Life]

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So far, the first few weeks of 2016 have brought a bit of excitement with our birding trips. A couple of weeks ago, a hawk was in 'fly by mode' directly above my head as I walked the path looking for a whole 'nother bird reported in the area. A rarity throughout USA if I understand correctly! Tho, online, some consider this a 'morph' instead of a subspecies that the ornithology site does...

There is quite a lot of information of the hawk on this site if you're interested. It was first 'discovered' by John Krider in the 1870s. My first impression, other than the creamy white underparts and almost all white head....I think it's a majestic, beautiful hawk!!! Since it's considered by some, for now, a subspecies of the Red Tailed Hawk, I found no 'separate range map' in my research other than what I will share verbatim from this site. If you have a special interest in the Red Tailed Hawk, this link, I find very interesting to read. See below, the habitat range for the Krider's...

I had one photo enlarged to fit an 11x14 frame and added it to my bird sanctuary [dining room walls]

KRIDER'S HAWK

photos taken: Pollywog Ponds - North of Corpus Christi, Texas

habitat range: "Range: Breeds in southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, and extreme western Ontario south to south-central Montana, Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western Minnesota. Migrate south to winter South Dakota and southern Minnesota south to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana."

Two other birds I've never got photo records of 'til this month, in the same area on one day's outing, follow!

With the distinguishing white wing patch, 'discolored' belly markings, and red crown [tho in my photo the red isn't showing well, since it landed in the shadows], and very silent demeanor when foraging and flying around in the hunt for food, I'm pretty sure this is a...

YELLOW BELLIED SAPSUCKER
photo taken: Pollywog Ponds - North of Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat range: Sapsucker

...and

HOUSE WREN
photo taken: Pollywog Ponds - North of Corpus Christi, Texas
habitat range: Wren

Now share your birding experiences:

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§ Gull, Hawk, and Skimmers Galore!

§ Then there were THREE

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