The BirdingPI.com field team was exiting Presque Isle State Park last Sunday when this was seen out the window at roadside, just past Swan Cove Parking Lot:
By the time it was possible to safely/legally pull a U-turn and backtrack, the bird had moved to a nearby power line and then dropped to ground:
Fortunately, the beach-side multi-use trail was nearby, enabling quickly skirting the ground vegetation for a lucky sequence of hawk in flight shots, w/ ID confirmation of a not-so-commonly-seen Red-shouldered Hawk (immature):
Soon thereafter, it perched on a nearby tree…:
… and then took flight again, heading towards the Ranger Station area and eventually out of sight:
Red-shouldered Hawk is similar in size and appearance to Red-tailed Hawk, especially an immature (1st winter) bird as here. ID tips for immature Red-shouldered Hawk: (1) even, heavy streaking from throat to lower belly (Red-tailed Hawk has a narrow band of streaking mid-belly); (2) buffy patch towards end of outer wings; (3) translucent crescent as seen adjacent primaries from wing underside; (4) white crescent on wing underside; (5) another view of buffy patch; and (6) hint of red shoulder:
Obviously, distinguished from adult Red-tailed Hawk by not having a red tail 🙂