Juvenile Broad-winged Hawk at Funk's Grove

Juvenile Hawk, formerly thought to be a Sharp-shinned but now known to be a juvenile Broad-winged (please see comments below for an explanation). He is eating a large bug, possibly a praying mantis. I hope he has learned to hunt other prey, as those bugs will be gone before long and he has to feed himself this winter. If you click on the bottom photo to see the larger picture, you will see that there are little heart shapes on his legs, making it look like he's wearing valentines boxers or pantaloons!

 

 

 

I lightened this photo to show the pattern on the tail. So, what do you think, Red-shouldered or Broad-winged?

 

Midewin Tallgrass Prairie

A panoramic view across the prairie from the trail off Explosives Road.

 

Explosives Road Trail at Midewin.

 

 

 

 

North Access at Chautauqua Lake

Great White Egrets, Eurasian Tree Sparrows, and Red-headed Woodpeckers were among the many birds last weekend at the refuge.

 

 

 

 

Eastern Kingbird catching flies.

 

 

 

 

Lesser Yellowlegs at Emiquon

Lesser Yellowlegs on Pumphouse Road (Path 2) at Emiquon.