Ken Nielsen Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) From this morning, February January 21, 2022, at Ridgefield, Washington. I'm pretty sure this is not a Red Tailed Hawk this time but looks more like an Eagle, to me at least... Can you give me an idea of what age this bird might be? I understand they are in this changing state during the first four years of their lives... Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Edited January 25, 2022 by Aveschapines To try to combine accuracy with fun... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avery Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) You got it! Young Baldie. My guess is 2nd year Edited January 22, 2022 by Avery 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Nielsen Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 2 minutes ago, Avery said: You got it! Young Baldie. My guess is 2nd year Thank You, Now is the time to see and take pictures as no foliage for them to hide in. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peromyscus Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Definitely a young Bald Eagle. Yellow base to the longish bill, eathers mostly brown with some white mixed in. 2nd year sounds good to me, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 On 1/21/2022 at 8:48 PM, Ken Nielsen said: I'm pretty sure this is not a Red Tailed Hawk this time Compare this one with your Red-tailed from earlier. This one's darker overall, and that bill is massive. On 1/21/2022 at 8:48 PM, Ken Nielsen said: From this morning, February 21, 2022 Nice job getting the future bird! If the rest of us go to that spot next month, will we be able see it then? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Is it better for starting its 3rd year - white starting to show on the face to form an eye stripe and not much white left on its belly? I've just recently been trying to age Eagles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 36 minutes ago, RobinHood said: Is it better for starting its 3rd year - white starting to show on the face to form an eye stripe and not much white left on its belly? Ignore if everyone is saying it is 2.5 plus years old. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Nielsen Posted January 23, 2022 Author Share Posted January 23, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 2:21 AM, Charlie Spencer said: Compare this one with your Red-tailed from earlier. This one's darker overall, and that bill is massive. Nice job getting the future bird! If the rest of us go to that spot next month, will we be able see it then? Got me, and now I cannot edit this, apparently there is a time frame for editing. I'll watch it more carefully and don't know how this one got by... Thanks for the heads up! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 4 hours ago, Ken Nielsen said: apparently there is a time frame for editing. Yeah, about five minutes is all you have. We've learned to accept it as the only major fly in the otherwise pleasing ointment that is Whatbird. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meghann Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 5:21 AM, Charlie Spencer said: Nice job getting the future bird! If the rest of us go to that spot next month, will we be able see it then? Quit harassing the time travelers, Charlie. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/21/2022 at 8:48 PM, Ken Nielsen said: From this morning, January 21, 2022, at Ridgefield, Washington On my screen it says January. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meghann Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 2 minutes ago, Kevin said: On my screen it says January. ? Someone with the powers to change it, did. (Which makes things kind of less fun. Sigh.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 5 minutes ago, meghann said: Someone with the powers to change it, did. (Which makes things kind of less fun. Sigh.) What? Are you saying someone here would do such a thing? Also, who ever it was much have changed it back the right way, or maybe back the wrong way, I'm not sure how to look at that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pictaker Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 6:50 AM, RobinHood said: Is it better for starting its 3rd year - white starting to show on the face to form an eye stripe and not much white left on its belly? I've just recently been trying to age Eagles. I think you have it,The bill has lost its purple black color, the white belly is almost gone,and even some white feathers breaking through on its tail, I would say entering its third year also... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 8 minutes ago, pictaker said: I think you have it,The bill has lost its purple black color, the white belly is almost gone,and even some white feathers breaking through on its tail, I would say entering its third year also... Thanks @pictaker. I suspect everyone was suggesting the same age, but in slightly different ways. I have been trying to get more detail into my eBird reports, including age when possible, but haven't quite figured out the conventions. I find it easier to work in calendar years so using this bird as an example and assuming we are correct I would use Y3 (3rd calendar year) but I'm not sure what is the commonly accepted descriptor. I don't like tagging folk here but as an exception I will ask @DLecy for guidance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Nielsen Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 10 hours ago, meghann said: Someone with the powers to change it, did. (Which makes things kind of less fun. Sigh.) Where is my brain.... better to fix that as not a help at all the way it was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestranger Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 This post was recognized by aveschapinas! "Thank you for always helping to keep the WhatBird forums running smoothly and showing the newbies around!" lonestranger was awarded the badge 'Helpful' and 5 points. 12 hours ago, Ken Nielsen said: Where is my brain.... better to fix that as not a help at all the way it was... I am pretty sure that @Kevin or @Aveschapines would fix the date for you if you asked nicely. I agree that the time travelling typo made for some fun but I think accuracy on the date of the sighting should trump the fun, especially when questioning the age of birds. That's just my thoughts but it's not my post. It's your post @Ken Nielsen, although you can't edit it, you can ask a Mod to help and do it for you, but you need to ask. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meghann Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 27 minutes ago, lonestranger said: I am pretty sure that @Kevin or @Aveschapines would fix the date for you if you asked nicely. I agree that the time travelling typo made for some fun but I think accuracy on the date of the sighting should trump the fun, especially when questioning the age of birds. That's just my thoughts but it's not my post. It's your post @Ken Nielsen, although you can't edit it, you can ask a Mod to help and do it for you, but you need to ask. ? Yeah, Kevin had changed it, but when I was snarky about it being less fun, he changed it back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveschapinas Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 On 1/23/2022 at 4:52 PM, Ken Nielsen said: Got me, and now I cannot edit this, apparently there is a time frame for editing. I'll watch it more carefully and don't know how this one got by... Thanks for the heads up! I edited again, hoping to preserve accuracy and humor at the same time. How did I do? I can change it again if you want! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 I feel strongly both ways. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLecy Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 I’m definitely not a expert on aging Bald Eagles, but I do believe this bird to be a basic II individual based on a variety of traits that have already been shared. Immature a Bald Eagles can be a challenge to accurately age (especially older immatures), and truly definitive aging usually involves high quality flight shots where one can see the various coverts, remiges and rectrices, which combine to give a more accurate picture of the age of a bird. Some of the bare parts such as the color of the beak and cere aid in aging BAEAs too. Banded eagles are the easiest to age as well, for obvious reasons. ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pictaker Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 So as luck would have it I photographed this bird, this morning here in jersey. It is tagged and was banded 5/3/2019,at about two months old,which would give it an egg hatching date around march 1 or so,which makes it almost three years old, Just wanted to add it here so you guys could see how it looks. @RobinHood @Ken Nielsen @DLecy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 @RobinHood, @Ken Nielsen, 6 minutes ago, pictaker said: So as luck would have it I photographed this bird, this morning here in jersey. It is tagged and was banded 5/3/2019,at about two months old,which would give it an egg hatching date around march 1 or so,which makes it almost three years old, Just wanted to add it here so you guys could see how it looks. @RobinHood @Ken Nielsen @DLecy @DLecy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinHood Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Thanks for the feedback @pictaker, very much appreciated. Great photo to show the ID characteristics at this age, especially the eye stripe just starting to appear. Presumably you were able to read the band on this bird. I don't often look (almost never) at the photo sites of WhatBird posters (so little time etc.) but just took a quick look at yours and very impressive. I try not to ask folk about what equipment they use but I'm thinking about upgrading (just researched mirrorless again and still not convinced, battery life a factor). Wrong forum so may start a new thread for suggestions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now