I looked out into the backyard yesterday afternoon, and I saw a really big bird hop behind my gas grill. He had a bird-of-prey beak and a strong neck. He was about two feet long. I got just a couple of quick glimpses of him on the ground, and then he flew away. What a magnificent bird! I grabbed my Peterson’s A Field Guide To The Birds, and I leafed through the hawks. Near as I can tell, my visitor was a Rough-Legged Hawk. There are some mice and voles in my yard, and he was probably after one of them.
I’m not a serious birdwatcher, but when I see a feathered stranger, I try to find out what I saw. I had seen some kestrels and a screech owl, but this was the first rough-legged hawk I’ve ever seen. He looked big enough to carry off a full grown squirrel.