Dark morph Western Redtail
Outdoor Ontario

Dark morph Western Redtail

BIGFRANK

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Today at 330pm,I was in the shopping plazza at Midland and Kingston Rd. I saw the pigeons scattering at the apartment on the corner. I assumed it was a Redtail,or possibly even a Peregrine which has been seen hunting in the area. I returned my shopping cart and looked back towards the buildings. Coming at me was a good sized bird..directly over me it flew,and to my amazement it was 100% certain a dark-morph Western Redtailed Hawk. Its wings were similar in colour to a dark morph Roughleg, but its tail was very noticably rusty coloured! I was amazed. I hoped in the van as it was going to the west out of sight. As we travelled west along Kingston Rd,I again saw it hunting above an appartment at Kingston Rd and Glen Everest Rd where once again I got a wonderful clear view of its contrasting dark and white wings and rusty tail. Terrific sighting. I hope it sticks around. Naturally no camera  today. I'll be out looking for it tomorrow.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by BIGFRANK »


Mark D

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Very nice find!!!!

Mark
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Mark D »


Bluffs Birder

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Very interesting find Frank, maybe this is the same bird I saw too.

When I was having dinner tonight at 6:30pm I saw a large dark hawk fly just over the top of the stores along the North side of Kingston Road between Sharpe and Ridgemoor Ave.  It came to rest in a large tree just above Sanddown Lane (7 or 8 houses down from where I am located.)  I jumped up from the table and grapped my coat, boots, and binoculars and went out to the backyard to check the bird out.  It was about 17 to 20 inches from head to tail and very dark brown over it's entire back side...I also noted the white feather tips dotting the wings.  I couldn't see the tail because there was a branch in the way and I didn't get a change to see it's face or breast as it was facing the other direction away from where I was standing.  It was only in the tree for a couple of minutes and just as I thought about going down the lane to get a better view, the bird turned quickly to it's left and took off back out over Kingston Road.  It was chasing down a flock of pigeons with little success...it then carried on back towards the No Frills shopping plaza.  I think when I'm out tomorrow at the plaza I will definitely keep an eye open for a better sighting of this bird.  Maybe I'll see you out there Frank...thanks for sharing your sighting.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Bluffs Birder »


Bluffs Birder

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Sorry the above should read "along the North side of Kingston Road between Sandown and Ridgemoor Ave"  Not Sharpe Ave.  My bad!!!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Bluffs Birder »


Lee

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I see a raptor of some sort quite often at those buildings at Kingston/Midland.  Whenever I see pigeons taking off, I look for a hawk.  Unfortunately, I'm always driving and have to focus on the road.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Lee »