Accipiter silhouettes

[HamRHead]

Yesterday, Augusta, GA. Any thoughts on these photos? Well, not so much on the photos, but on the bird in the photos. I know what your thinking--Who goes birding with a Polaroid?

 

[Charlie Spencer]

No, more like "Who tries to take photos on a dark cloudy afternoon with the minimal amount of light BEHIND the bird?"

Or maybe "Who goes birding with an 80% chance of rain?"

Tail looks narrow; Cooper's?

Edited August 2, 2018 by Charlie Spencer

[HamRHead]

10 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said:

No, more like "Who tries to take photos on a dark cloudy afternoon with the minimal amount of light BEHIND the bird?"

Or maybe "Who goes birding with an 80% chance of rain?"

Guilty as charged, only worse!

11 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said:

Tail looks narrow; Cooper's?

I was leaning that direction, based on my perception of the size and on what I would call a slower wing-beat. Still I'm not sure if there is a way to be certain. I know that if some of you guys had been with me in the field, you could have called it.

[psweet]

The tail looks quite short. Looks like a Buteo to me -- if I had to make a wild guess, maybe Broad-winged based on what appears to be 4 fingers. But that's perhaps 51%.

[HamRHead]

As if the photos couldn't get any worse I added fill light. We'll probably have to leave it as a BBJ--big brown job.