Two weeks after finding a Say’s Phoebe at Edgemere Landfill in the company of my family I convinced them to return to Edgemere yesterday afternoon for another visit. Northwest winds had been blowing all day and the flight of both passerines and raptors had been impressive. We had a grand old time dodging grasshoppers, checking out the snails, and watching the hawks. But that northwest wind got kind of brutal after awhile so we decided to head off the top of the capped landfill and find a more sheltered area to enjoy the day. As I drove slowly down the gravel road a distant raptor caught my eye. It was interesting enough that I stopped, opened the car door, and got my glass on it. I initially thought Black Vulture but quickly dismissed that thought.
Then I grabbed my camera, rattled off several pictures, and returned to family time. After all, having spent all morning birding the coast I couldn’t really make Desi and Daisy sit in the car while I puzzled over a distant bird. But I had a pretty good idea as to what I thought it was and I just hoped that the pictures I got would be good enough to confirm the identification.
The photos were taken at great range while the bird battled into the northwest winds. All I have done to them is crop them, though they are mighty cropped. What do you think this bird is?
I posted these pictures on Facebook last night and folks seemed to agree with my thinking. Even the eBird reviewer for Queens County, the illustrious Doug Gochfeld, agreed. I don’t want to give away what exactly I believe this bird is because I don’t want to prejudice your thoughts, but I’d love to hear what you think these images reveal. See you in the comments!
You are rather smart. You haven’t added the species to your year list, yet!
I think it’s a Golden Eagle.
Totally a Golden Eagle. Nice photos.
It looks like the one I saw yesterday too, particularly the last two photos. At first I noticed the size because a blackbird went up to mob it, and it was so much smaller than the eagle. It was dark brown overall with white patches on the wing and at the base of the tail, which according to Sibley’s makes it a juvenile. At that size, the only other thing I could think would me the relatively more common Bald Eagle, but the coloring was more consistent with a Golden Eagle.
I have no pictures though. By the time I realized I should get a picture, it was gone.
With that bill size it is not a Bald Eagle. This nice Golden Eagle has a much smaller bill.
Want to say Golden Eagle also.
Nice find.
If you saw your bird around 2 PM it was likely the same exact bird that I had. It was flying west-northwest into the northwest winds which, from Edgemere, would take it to Jamaica Bay.
Thanks, all, for your comments. And, yes, it is a Golden Eagle, which is now number 307 on my Queens list!
Corey, that was about the time I saw it flying north over the East Pond. It appears that we saw the same bird!
I will have to put that down as a “miss” since I was passing through Jamaica Bay yesterday afternoon.
I HTINK ITS A HAWK OF SOME TYPE;.. MAYBE A PEREGRIN
Well played sir, well played.