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--0016e64697b096baac047d0f7eec Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi again, Fulton Lavender mentioned to me another field mark, which I can't find in any book or on the web. If you get a good frontal look at the bird, in Coopers the top of the cere extends just above the level of the top of the eye, and in Sharpie it is below that level. He says it's a pretty good and consistent field mark. The photos posted aren't at the right angle to see that here. Richard On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 1:31 PM, <iamclar@dal.ca> wrote: > All: > > I thought I'd stay out of this, because the responders have it correct as > an > adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, but the lingering concern about Cooper's needs to > be > dispelled. There is nothing about this bird that resembles Cooper's, adults > of > which have a longer head (making the eye seem more forward) often > displaying a > bulging "hackle" at the nape. Also, they are distinctly dark-capped, > contrasting with the pale gray nape. And, BTW, most images taken against a > background sky or snow have the subject underexposed and too dark overall > (and > sometimes washed with cyan or blue), obscuring details. You should brighten > such images in a photo editing program or brighten your screen. Brightening > can lead to colour distortions, so should be used with care, but it's good > for > bringing out contrasts of plumage markings such as barring patterns and a > contrastingly dark cap. > > Richard Stern is right about closed tails being less easy to interpret than > open > ones, but only from above. From below, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned are very > different, and anyone obtaining photos of perched birds for diagnosis > should > aim to get shots from below of the tail. (The broader white margin on the > tail > of Cooper's seldom useful, as it can be sullied and worn.) > > Cooper's tails are graduated, with the tail feathers thus from below: > ______ > ____)))) > ______)))) > > Sharp-shinned tails are not, and thus: > _______ > _______) > _______) > > From above, only the longest outer tail feathers are seen, so this is of no > help. > > All best, Ian > > Ian McLaren > > Quoting Peter Payzant <pce@accesswave.ca>: > > Hi, all- >> >> A friend sent me some photos of a bird in his back yard and asked for >> an ID. I'm very rusty and so I'm appealing to the collective wisdom of >> NatureNS folk for assistance. Here are the photos: >> http://www.pbase.com/ppayzant/id_request[1]<http://www.pbase.com/ppayzant/id_request%5B1%5D>. >> >> Thanks >> >> Peter Payzant >> >> >> >> Links: >> ------ >> [1] http://www.pbase.com/ppayzant/id_request >> >> > > > -- ################# Dr.R.B.Stern, P.O. Box 300, Port Williams, N.S., Canada, B0P 1T0 Richard Stern, 317 Middle Dyke Rd. Port Williams, NS, Canada B0P 1T0 sternrichard@gmail.com ################### --0016e64697b096baac047d0f7eec Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div>Hi again,</div> <div>=A0</div> <div>Fulton Lavender mentioned to me another field mark, which I can't = find in any book or on the web. If you get a good frontal look at the bird,= in Coopers the top of the cere extends just above the level of the top of = the eye, and in Sharpie it is below that level. He says it's a pretty g= ood and consistent field mark. The photos posted aren't at the right an= gle to see that here.</div> <div>=A0</div> <div>Richard<br><br></div> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 1:31 PM, <span dir=3D"lt= r"><iamclar@dal.ca></span> wrot= e:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0= px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">All:<br><br>I thought I'd st= ay out of this, because the responders have it correct as an<br>adult Sharp= -shinned Hawk, but the lingering concern about Cooper's needs to be<br> dispelled. There is nothing about this bird that resembles Cooper's, ad= ults of<br>which have a longer head (making the eye seem more forward) ofte= n displaying a<br>bulging "hackle" at the nape. Also, they are di= stinctly dark-capped,<br> contrasting with the pale gray nape. And, BTW, most images taken against a<= br>background sky or snow have the subject underexposed and too dark overal= l (and<br>sometimes washed with cyan or blue), obscuring details. You shoul= d brighten<br> such images in a photo editing program or brighten your screen. Brightening= <br>can lead to colour distortions, so should be used with care, but it'= ;s good for<br>bringing out contrasts of plumage markings such as barring p= atterns and a<br> contrastingly dark cap.<br><br>Richard Stern is right about closed tails be= ing less easy to interpret than open<br>ones, but only from above. From bel= ow, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned are very<br>different, and anyone obtain= ing photos of perched birds for diagnosis should<br> aim to get shots from below of the tail. (The broader white margin on the t= ail<br>of Cooper's seldom useful, as it can be sullied and worn.)<br><b= r>Cooper's tails are graduated, with the tail feathers thus from below:= <br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0______<br>=A0 = =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0____))))<br>=A0 = =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0______))))<br><br>Sh= arp-shinned tails are not, and thus:<br>=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0= =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0_______<br>=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 = =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0_______)<br> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0_______)<br>= <br>From above, only the longest outer tail feathers are seen, so this is o= f no<br>help.<br><br>All best, Ian<br><br>Ian McLaren<br><br>Quoting Peter = Payzant <<a href=3D"mailto:pce@accesswave.ca" target=3D"_blank">pce@acce= sswave.ca</a>>:<br> <br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0= px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">=A0 =A0Hi, all-<br><br>A friend = sent me some photos of a bird