Help with identification, please.

[Deka]

I have checked 3 books to identify this bird and been unsuccessful.
I had put the tri-pod and camera away and was just heading out when I spotted it.
This was taken handheld. (My first time hand held bird on the wing shots. Sorry it is OOF.) 250 mm, F/11, 1/1250. ISO 400 and manual mode.

It seemed very intent upon the area which I had just left on the viewing platform of a little levee pond.
My speculation, it is a juvenile hawk and the books do not show images of juveniles.
Thank you for any insight into the identify of this bird.

 

[photographmemories]

That's an osprey and that's a Nice shot! Usually find these raptors anywhere the fishing is good during the summer months. There's an osprey thread here too http://www.pnwphotos.com/forum/showthread.php?10327-Ospreys

Which books were you going to for ID?



Chad

 

[Bill Anderson]

Here is a very good book for identifying raptors in flight:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0691118256/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=3484836646&ref=pd_sl_2li5yq72a_e

 

[Joemeche]

That was an easy one.

 

[Deka]

Thank you Gentlemen!
The books I have are:
A Golden Field Guide to Field Identification - Birds of North America
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds (Western Region)
National Geographic Complete Birds of North America

Silly me, I just figured it was a hawk of some sort because the pond is next to the Puyallup river on the out skirt of Fife.
I never considered an osprey because the pond is fresh water and I thought osprey only fished salt water. I know better now. LOL
Do they eat strictly fish or will they take small water birds as well?
I can't help but think the family of pied-billed grebe's might need to take cover!

Thank you for the links. Definitely going to check them out!!
I'm going back to the pond today to check on the grebe's.

 

[Joemeche]

Ospreys are primarily fish eaters and I've seen them take prey from fresh and saltwater.
No real need for grebes to worry. Of course, a grebe might think differently.

 

[squirl033]

osprey's diet is 99% fish. they don't care if the fish are fresh water or salt (osprey live in landlocked states like Montana and happily fish in lakes and rivers), but they will take small rodents or even other birds if they're desperate and there are no fish to be had. in this part of the world, though, with water and fish abundant, they pose no threat to any other animals. in fact, family of house sparrows actually built a nest and raised their young in the "basement" lower layers of an osprey nest here in Everett, and the osprey didn't give them a second glance.

 

[Deka]

Went back to the pond and the grebe's are fine.
Purchased 2 new books.
Peterson Field Guide - Hawks of North America
Hawks in Flight

I think these 2 books will be my 'go to' books for hawk identification.