Broad-winged Hawk in a Pine
Yesterday morning and this morning – both days hot, humid and sunny again – I was lucky enough to get brief but very clear views of a young Broad-winged Hawk.
The one I saw yesterday was a good example of how these birds blend into the woods, how surely they belong, screened by green leaves and sunlight. Standing beneath the trees, green light all around me, I heard a single clear, whistled call from somewhere very close, but it took several minutes of looking before I finally saw it – and then wondered how I could have missed it – a dark solid block of a big stocky bird, perched on a relatively low limb of an oak in full view and not far away, but if it hadn’t called, I wouldn’t have seen it. It looked like a shadow.
As soon as I lifted binoculars, it flew a little deeper into the trees, but not far, and I could still see it well enough, and from there, it called again.
This morning again, the hawks were quiet at first. I waited for several minutes and was about to give up when I heard the high whistled call from a scrubby stand of young pines and oaks on the edge of a yard, and a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk flew to a branch of a pine tree in full, open view from where I stood – as beautiful as if it had been posing. It sat directly facing me, now and then turning its head in profile.
Its breast was creamy white, boldly streaked with dark brown; its back chocolate brown, speckled with white; the tail showed narrow bands of light and dark sooty brown. The tip of the tail appeared almost white.