[Maine-birds] Re: mystery raptor

I had a similar occurrence today. I was snowblowing my driveway on Greely Road Extension in Cumberland (down at the dead end) while a large flock of siskins/goldfinches/chickadees/juncos/mourning doves were eating at my feeders. I had just finished up (around 1PM or so) and was backing my tractor into the garage and turned around to see a large hawk sized bird dive on the feeders and peel across the driveway landing clumsily on a branch that was too small to hold its weight. It took off again immediately and disappeared through the trees towards my neighbors house. I was not able to see the wing beat pattern but at first glance it was a brownish gray on top with light belly. My first thought was a juvenile Northern Harrier? But again it all happened so fast I would not even stake my life cereal on it. . When I stood up upon seeing it my tractor stalled and backfired which also did not help my powers of concentration any. I am not familiar with the "Grover Airport". Where is that located? My house is not far from Knights Pond and the power lines so it is possible that it was hunting down those either before or after?

 

On Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5:07:26 PM UTC-5, Michael Boardman wrote:

I have a beginner question: just finished a snowshoe across the Grover airfield in N. Yarmouth and scared up a fairly large raptor (hawk sized) but of course forgot to bring my binocs. Didn't get a look a the head as it was flying away, but it had a distinctive flap flap glide beat pattern, light underneath, darkish (grey?) above. Is the wing beat any help in ID'ing a good sized raptor?

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