Broad Shouldered Hawk??? on Scarlet Rd.

[Rob'in'To]

I noticed this Hawk on the way home from work today and lucky for me I had my camera with me.  Legal parking was a pain and had to walk a km back to where I had first saw the Hawk.  I had my fingers crossed he was still there and lucky for me...  was.  A good long view of him, watched him go in for something in the grass with no luck, and then he flew up into a tree right above the walk.  The only bad thing is I had to stand on the east side of him, facing him and the sun...  so photographing was a challenge (for me).  A woman who was also watching him with her binoculars told me it is a Broad Shouldered Hawk.  

[Reuven_M]

Nice photos, but its a red-tailed hawk. Not sure what a broad-shouldered hawk is, hybrid between red-shouldered and broad-winged!?

[Rob'in'To]

Ummmmm?  You got me there Reuven.   :?   This woman went on about the tail mostly.  Hawks sure aren't my specialty.  I was just thrilled to be so close to one out in the wild...  and a rather bold one at that...  and at that moment I wasn't overly concerned on what type I was looking at.

[newfoundlander61]

I would also agreed with a Red-Tailed Hawk. While not really visible unless flying alot of the times the tear drop colour and pattern of the breast is a RTH.

[ravynne40]

Scarlett Road? could this be the same hawk from James Gardens/Lambton Woods?

[Rob'in'To]

Could be?  I don't know how far their hunting territory might spread.  This is actually on the east side of Scarlet Road.  I have seen this Hawk (assuming it's the same Hawk every time) in the same tree about twice a week on the way home from work for the past couple months.  There is no place to park legally except pulling onto Edenridge and hitting the first parking lot and then trekking back over to the east side of Scarlet.  It feels like a 1km walk but who knows.  I walked the road and crossed at the lights by the ESSO to get to him but on the way back I took the bike path along the river and went under the bridge to get back.

[ravynne40]

Sounds like the same hawk, they usually have a large area they hunt in, especially with a nice area like that, there is Smythe Park not too far from there too, because he looks a lot like the red-tail that was terrorizing the ducks when I was there, I also realized, the sweet little old man that was feeding the ducks was also feeding pigeons in the same area. (Hawks just love pigeons it seems)

[JW Mills]

Nice catch!
 

...There is no place to park legally except pulling onto Edenridge and hitting the first parking lot...

How about parking at the plaza just north of the Esso station?

[Rob'in'To]

Yeah, that would have worked.  I totally forgot about that place.  I saw the Hawk, had the camera and went to the first place I could think of...  park + parking lot.  Ah well, good to know for the next time, eh.  Thanks John!