2 Jan 2025 Chatham. Photo by Peter Trimble
On 29 December 2024 Krzysztof Kurylowicz was birding at Morris Island in Chatham when he discovered the state’s first record of a Ferruginous Hawk.
Krzysztof’s notes from eBird:
Dark hawk with white streaking on the breast and white edges of wing and white tail. Flew toward West Side of the island. Harrased by crows. I’ll add some pics later. Tracking shows the location of the bird, at the tallest tree in the neighborhood. I have turned on app right after seeing the bird (starting time was adjusted later, to match our arrival to the NWR) and turned off when bird flew away.
My initial, field ID was Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk. Somehow my brain did not allow possibility of Ferruginous Hawk sighting in the New England. Jeremiah Trimble corrected me. Thank you!
Full checklist here:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S207091079
2 Jan 2025 Chatham. Photo by Peter Trimble
Independently, Lisa Schibley saw the bird on 30 December 2024.
Lisa’s notes from eBird:
At 7:50. Standing on the south edge of the main causeway looking north. Large bird appeared on my left just a bit higher than the telephone pole. Immediate impression was bulky and brown. Bird was not in a hurry. It traveled from my left to right in a few heartbeats then disappeared behind the low trees. Immediately thought buteo. Straight flight. Broad wings. Medium length tail. Head was dark, an even chocolate brown without marks. Body was mostly an even brown with a few white blotches. Tail was paler but a frosty pale, not a creamy pale. Tail didn’t seem to have reddish tones. Flight was direct with flat wings a few flaps. It was being followed by a crow, though not really harassed by it. But the size difference was significant. A few moments later I heard a significant crow raucous coming to the right of where I last saw it flying, back towards the island. But I couldn’t track the crow party down and did not see the hawk again.
Full checklist here: