[Maine-birds] Rough-legged Hawks -- Schoodic Point

Squeezed in some birding along Schoodic Peninsula this morning before the storm came in.  Was really hoping for harlequin ducks but no such luck.  

Among lots of other birds seen, the highlight of the morning for me was a chance to carefully study two rough legged hawks circling over Arey Cove.  They first appeared in a clump with an immature bald eagle and then the RLHAs diverged.  These two were significantly different in size (from eachother) so I'm guessing one was female and the smaller one male.  The larger bird was a light morph individual, possibly juvenile.  Beautiful and crisply contrasting light and dark color pattern on underwings, with bold black wrists, and white base on top of tail.  The smaller bird was very dark, had no white on the upper tail and no wrist patches--clear black underwings with white flight feathers. I'd guess this was an adult but not sure.  What a great chance to learn these birds better!  They were traveling together and moved off landward.

Before this winter I'd only ever seen rough legged hawks a couple of fleeting times.  Then a couple of weeks ago I had good looks at two RLHAs at Parker River NWF at Plum Island, MA. Now these two in ME.  A rough-legged hawk fest!

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