The surprise of the day was a Red-throated Loon on the reservoir this afternoon.  About two thirds of the reservoir is still covered with ice, so the Loon was closer to the shoreline than normal making for great looks.

I started my raptor watching in the North Woods and then worked my way around the reservoir.  My first raptor was a Juvenile Red-Tailed Hawk at the Wildflower meadow, who then flew around the Compost Heap.  Then it was off to the reservoir, where a Peregrine Falcon has been seen for the last few days near the North Gate House. Then after looking at the nice selection of waterfowl using the open areas of reservoir, I ran into two adult hawks at the South Gate House.  By then it was too dark to I.D. the hawks, but it looked like one of them was an intruder and the other was either Pale Male or Octavia.

Both Pale Male and Octavia are doing just fine in the cold. Both have been spotted numerous times over the long weekend.  I got a few pictures of Pale Male on Saturday.  Today, the hawk of my visit was a young hawk in the area of the Ramble called The Oven.  This bird didn't get any not respect from numerous Squirrels and Blue Jays.