Leucistic Redtail!

[Handsome Rob]

Long story short, this particular hawk has been visiting us for just over a year. I've spent all that time trying to get a decent photo & this ain't it......yet.

It's managed to thwart 4 different trail cameras & me sitting for 4 straight, 14 hour days in a blind. 

I dumped a deer carcass out in one of my fields a few days ago with hopes of getting some trail cam photos of coyotes & lo and behold, guess who shows up the morning right AFTER the wind blew my trail camera off target......

This was taken from my dining room window, with my phone, through 10x binos 

Edited January 20, 2019 by robtattoo

[Handsome Rob]

I've resecured the trail cam & I'm reeeeeally hoping he comes back!

[KahrMan]

That is really cool. Hope you get a better pic of him. 

[MacGyver]

Cool!

[Handsome Rob]

He's back! Right now, right in front of the camera!!!

[TripleGGG]

16 minutes ago, robtattoo said:

He's back! Right now, right in front of the camera!!!

Getem. 

[Handsome Rob]

[Moped]

Can’t wait to see him!

[Moped]

1 minute ago, robtattoo said:

He’s beautiful!!!

[TomInMN]

14 minutes ago, robtattoo said:

Oh, wow!

 

Is leucistic a synonym for albino?

[Handsome Rob]

Just now, TomInMN said:

Oh, wow!

 

Is leucistic a synonym for albino?

Not quite....Albino means the body produces no melonin & therefore there is zero pigmentation

Leucism is simply a pure, or mostly pure white color variant. There's still eye, beak & leg color where an albino would be pink in those areas.

[Handsome Rob]

These are the best of the photos from a cursory glance, but I got over 300!

 

This HAS to be my favorite though!

[KahrMan]

Those are great pics

[RED333]

WOW, thanks so much for sharing!!!

[TomInMN]

1 hour ago, robtattoo said:

Not quite....Albino means the body produces no melonin & therefore there is zero pigmentation

Leucism is simply a pure, or mostly pure white color variant. There's still eye, beak & leg color where an albino would be pink in those areas.

That's good to know. Thanks for sharing, your knowledge and your photos!

[hipower]

Ditto on the WOW!! Those are some really good shots. I favor the one with his wings spread and on the carcass. Perhaps just as landing?

[jpx2rk]

Effort does pay off, congrats. Great pics, thanks for sharing.  

[Capbyrd]

I love birds of prey.   He's beautiful.  

[peejman]

Just be sure to remove any/all bullet fragments from the carcass before leaving it out. The birds will injest the fragments and die from lead poisoning. 

[Ronald_55]

14 minutes ago, peejman said:

Just be sure to remove any/all bullet fragments from the carcass before leaving it out.

Or bumper shrapnel depending on the cause of death. Lol

[Handsome Rob]

Half caught him again this morning, apparently having an argument with his buddy......

[E4 No More]

9 minutes ago, robtattoo said:

Half caught him again this morning, apparently having an argument with his buddy......

Did they come to blows or just walk off in a snit?

[Handsome Rob]

I was really hoping they got into it, but whether it happened farther out, or if The white was just giving us a flyby I couldn't say. That was the only photo we got of them together

[Hozzie]

Well, the real story is the white bird grew up with white privilege and had to leave to let the brown bird feast so as not be be deemed a racist. 

[hipower]

3 hours ago, Capbyrd said:

I love birds of prey.   He's beautiful.  

Me too. We have some Coopers Hawks and Red Tails around here. I just love listening to them and watching them soar around.

I've been lucky enough to see a Red Tail grab a water snake and actually carry it off. I saw him land and really tear into it. 

Another time, one of the Coopers chased a squirrel around and caught it, only to drop it. The squirrels really put up a fight. lol