Can You Help Identify This Raptor?
 

This mystery raptor flew over this morning with it's prey, which looks like a blue jay. I cannot figure out what it is.
My bird book is at home and the internet on the island is too slow for research.
Can you help identify this raptor?

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo..._006_2-med.jpg
The raptor is eating, that's what is hanging out of it's mouth.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...Lake_003_2.jpg

Thanks for the help!
RG

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Osprey?

Peregrine Falcon!
 

Congratulations, RG! Mrs. DRH found your bird in "Peterson Field Guides - Eastern Birds". Compare your photo to the book's drawing of a Peregrine Falcon. Nice catch!

http://www.metrocast.net/%7Edhughes/Falcon_600.jpg

Thanks!
 

Thank you Mrs. DRH!
Wow! This is the first sighting of a Peregrine Falcon for me. I feel very lucky.
What a sight it was when it flew in with another bird in it’s talons!
(Hopefully our dog is too big at seventeen pounds to be prey!)
I was trying to get into a better photographic position, when Rattlesnake Dog voiced his displeasure at being left behind on the deck.
Sadly he scared the falcon away. Glad I got a couple of shots in before that happened.
Very cool, a great way to start my day.
Thanks again!
RG

The bird he is eating is a juvenile Ivory-Billed Woodpecker :eek:

More like a teenage Blue Jay, I think! :D

Peregrine Falcon bird cams
 

Hi. Love the pix of the Peregrine Falcon. How exciting. If you are interested, there are several bird cams around the US focused on these birds. One is at the Kodak building in Rochester, NY
http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQueri...equestid=13894

Another is at UC Santa Cruz, although it's been pretty empty, as the falcons in Santa Cruz are just about fully grown right now.
http://www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/falconcamera.htm

Another site, is www.palemale.com, which is the site in NYC where Pale Male and Lola, two red tail hawks, live. Their nest was destroyed by the BOD of the building on 5th avenue (this is where Mary Tyler Moore and others live) back in December. But after a great deal of anguish, the spikes were replaced. The spikes allegedly keep pigeons off the building, but they are also the anchors for the huge nest the falcons build. The eggs have not hatched, perhaps due to stress of the bird. But they were photographed this weekend mating again, which is unusual at this time of year.

Yes, we are avid, crazed bird watchers!!

Great Links!
 

Thanks for those links donnamatrix!
Rattlesnake Guy and I both enjoyed them very much. Very cool stuff.

I agree with RG, donnamatrix. It's fascinating to watch the adult peregrine falcon and the youngsters on the Kodak Birdcam.

Oh, Donnamatrix, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's hooked on Pale Male and Lola! I check the site every day for updates, and was heartbroken the past few weeks! It will be so amazing to see what happens - if anything - from this new series of matings! I'm keeping them in my prayers, no matter how silly that sounds to anyone.

Bird Books
 

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good bird book(s)? I checked amazon.com.... there are so many my head was spinning trying to pick out one that would be informative and best suited to this geographical area???

The best bird guide
 

I have been an avid birder for many years and have at least six various bird guides. My favorite and the one I keep my life list in is the Golden Guide by St. Marten's Press. I have about six copies of the older light blue covered book, one in each car, the boat, the knapsack, the kitchen table, etc. There is a new and revised edition that is equally as good. The reason I like this book is that the field identification, range, sonogram, sex variations and description are all on the same page. You don't have to flip from the color plate to a different part of the book for the description and range. The birds are also seperated by taxonomy rather than similar colors as are some books. I feel this is the best all around book.

Another Raptor
 

We had an adult bald eagle around for a while on Saturday.

Cooper's Hawk + Peregrine Falcon
 

Saturday, we saw a Peregrine Falcon begin an impressive dive from only about 150' above the lake. We never saw the finish of the dive (a falcon's "stoop"), but a group of crows got noisily excited afterwards! (Crows are on a falcon's menu).

A large Cooper's Hawk paid a brief visit yesterday. (Too brief for a photo—this is a "file photo").

http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/p...awk_8471np.jpg

Both of these sightings occurred just days after our bird feeder got put out for the first time this season. Which birds are we feeding? :confused: :eek2: (Falcons and Cooper's seek mostly bird prey).

It's possible that the Peregrine was a falconer's pet, as we have a open 100-acre field nearby.

Can't remember if I posted it or not but I had a Falcon fly through my yard a week or so past. Caught a squirrel. Started to pick it apart on my boat....:eek:
I scared it away trying to get a shot with my camera. but boy did it fly right past me at high speed. maybe 10-15 feet away. Scared me as i didn't know what had just whizzed by. But I am certainly quite happy to see the hunters coming back. I have seen more eagles, Falcons, hawks, Owls this year than the last few. I hope they make a comeback. Oh and I Just remembered. I saw a Falcon sitting on top of a telephone pole last week on Rt 109 near the Moultonborough/Tuftonboro line. There is that electric pole service alley that they like to fly down looking for food. I really should be paying attention to the road instead eh?