Anglican Samizdat

6 Responses to “An unexpected visitor”

1. 1
   Stuart says:

   September 14, 2011 at 4:18 am

   Woah. That is jaw dropping. And what a superb image.

   Forgive my ignorance, but what bird of prey are we looking at here?

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2. 2
   Kate says:

   September 14, 2011 at 7:04 am

   I think it is a Peregrine Falcon.

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3. 3
   Odds and Ends | eChurch Blog says:

   September 14, 2011 at 8:32 am

   [...] a lighter note, David has taken a stunning image of a Peregrine Falcon in his back [...]

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4. 4
   David says:

   September 14, 2011 at 8:55 am

   A friend who knows a lot more about birds than me sent me this in an email:

   I am pretty sure your visiting friend in your backyard is an Accipiter Striatus: The Sharp Shinned Hawk. It looks similar to the Coopers Hawk, however the Coopers is slightly bigger.

   I would have to see the tail but I believe it would have had black bars over white: When it flies it it takes several beats and a glide. It has a rusty chest, barred breast. It is probably an adult bird. It is not a Peregrine because the Peregrine has a mark on its cheek that look like a sideburn.

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5. 5
   Stuart says:

   September 14, 2011 at 9:11 am

   Thanks David, updated the blog post to say that we think it is an Accipiter Striatus: The Sharp Shinned Hawk.

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6. 6
   Kate says:

   September 14, 2011 at 12:53 pm

   That makes sense. It would be the songbirds that would be cowering, though David. I love watching hawks fly.

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