Yesterday and today there has been an imm. dark morph Red-tailed Hawk hunting in a large field on the east side of Perryville Road just south of Spring Creek road and JMK Nippon restaurant. It often perches on a First Rockford Group sign in the field which augurs poorly for the habitat that the bird is using. But, for now, it’s catching and eating voles. It’s a striking bird – all chocolate brown with pale eyes and silver undersides to the flight feathers. As it is an immature the tail is dark brown, not red.
We got our first Fox Sparrow of the season at our feeders today. I know others have had them weeks ago but its SO fun to see it out there scritching around!