My friend and I met at the Hawk Watch; something we have done for the last couple of years. Birding enthusiasts have an opportunity to stand with other birders, and people from Hawk Watch International each March, to observe hawks flying over Tubac, Arizona. We meet at Ron Morriss County Park with binoculars, cameras, coffee, lunch and comfortable chairs.

Upon my arrival, I asked a fellow birder if he had seen any hawks in the early morning. He arrived an hour before and saw two flocks of birds. Some were zone-tailed hawks. Okay, what do they look like? A quick check in my Sibley app of a zone-tailed adult hawk as I would see it from the ground, may look something like this:

My friend arrived and we were patient observers. A couple of common ravens flew by. So did a black phoebe and Anna’s hummingbird, but no hawks. Just when you think we missed any observation, a gray hawk appeared! Another check of the Sibley app and then another look at the bird … yes, pale underneath with dark wing tips and bands of black on tail! So different looking from the zone-tailed hawk which is black underneath and one broad white band on its tail. Here is what a gray hawk looks like from the ground:

Another successful Hawk Watch!