ID Hawk

[Joe]

Well, I think they're hawks.  Everyone on the forum that has replied to the IDs has been very helpful, so I ask your indulgence once again.  Experience in Hawk behaviour (not just ID) would be great, also  

These two were performing some aerial acrobatics over Cranberry Marsh on Saturday.  Would a Hawk zig and zag like that?  Being harassed by a crow?  In the first photo the bird in front seems to have something yellow in it's beak (corn?).  In the books you tend to get a lot pictures either perched or flying (shot from below), few or none were you see the top of the wings.

http://juliansbirdwatchingphotos.fotopi ... 05606.html

The bird in the second photo is definitely one of the original pair.  I watched them as they flew 50 or so metres south.  Same yellow thing in its beak.  The second photo looks like a Rough Legged Dark Morph.

http://juliansbirdwatchingphotos.fotopi ... 05607.html

The third photo is of one ot them coming back toward me.  Again, looks like a Rough Legged.

http://juliansbirdwatchingphotos.fotopi ... 05608.html

A bit of a mystery.
Sorry about the poor image quality.

Joe and Julian

[Iain]

They all look like crows to me.  Roughies would have some white on the underside of the wings (even in the dark morph birds).  The corn also leads me to believe these are crows as crows are known to be optimistic scavengers.  Lastly, the bill on the bird in the third shot appears to be too straight to belong to a hawk species and looks more like that of a crow.

Iain

[Napper]

Please xplain

Exactly how many birds are you asking about?

Two crows and a Hawk?, or two crows?.

Here where I live, crows harrass the hawks that are around continually.. If you want to find a hawk, look for the Crows:lol:

Napper :lol:

[Joe]

Thanks for the replies.  

Beak is obviously not Hawk...  Should have noticed...
Also the sheen of the feathers made me think they were lighter than they are.


Joe