IDing a Hawk

Huge Old Prickly Pear Cactus

Becca and I took a fairly long trek west of Tortugas Mountain this morning, and not long after we got home I noticed a small hawk in one of the Mesquite Trees on the west side of our property; it was sitting above the waterhole eyeing small birds below.  I shot a couple of photos of it before stepping outside to see if I could sneak up for a better view.  The hawk became aware of me right away, though I was able to snap about twenty photos before it took off.  Since I never got a frontal view of the raptor, and couldn't really make out the features of its tail, it was difficult to ID.  My best guess is that it was a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.

Puffed up Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) on a wire

Becca on the trail across the western flank of the mountain

I can picture this in pastels

Soaptree Yuccas west of Tortugas Mountain

More Soaptree Yuccas and the Organ Mountains

Torrey Yucca and a dog

Torrey Yucca

Abundant growth along an arroyo

Don't think about #2

The 100-yard stare

Long view of Tortugas and the Organs

Mountain biker

Mountain biking the Desert Southwest

Mountain biker on the road around the mountain

In the distance:  Bishop Cap (left) and the Franklin Mountains

View west across the undulating desert

Road to the mesa

Who's that in our Mesquite Tree?

My presence has been noted

Either a young Red-tailed Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk

I'm going to guess "juvenile Red-tailed Hawk"

Almost ready to take off