Feather, I'm also into photography. (Altho you can't tell it by the photos I am posting on this forum!! LOL) I just got a new zoom lens and I'm learning how to use it now. I hope to get lots of GOOD photos of birds, someday soon! I'm sorry you suffer from carpal tunnel. I have it too, but mildly enough that I can still draw. I'm planning on doing some bird drawings with graphite pencil, colored pencil, and water color. Those are my mediums of choice these days (I gave up oils and acrylics years ago). Did you do your artwork from photos or just from memory? I have to have a model or photo or I can't seem to get things right and I doubt that I can get a bird to sit still long enough to draw it! LOL Re: the hawks Thanks so much everyone for your input. I'm just not sure. I have seen photos of juvie red-tailed hawks that had lots of spots on their backs. To me the eyes don't look as hooded as the eyes of a red-shouldered hawk, but I would have to bow to your opinions because I've never seen one in person, just going by the photos I've seen! I'm on the lookout for more hawks...there's just something so cool about the raptors!!

Probably. Their belly varies from very spotted to almost clear of spots. The black beak with yellow close to the face is also characteristic of them.

Thanks, I thought so, but I am not that familiar with identifying hawks, although I seem to be seeing them more and more lately! This one was back today, perched in same spot, screaming. I have read that the females are larger than the males, so I am guessing this one must be a female because it is HUGE, larger than the other ones I have seen, which I have only seen two in person. Thanks again!!!

So cool to watch. We had a nest of broad wing hawks in our yard.We watched them grow and I was there when they flew from the nest. They took off the same day.