Mrs Steam?

One of the Thresherman Park Red-tailed Hawks from about a quarter mile away.

The weather has changed. It's much colder and this birds feathers are puffed out so it's harder than ever to tell whether this is a male or female.

She seems to have some fluff stuck to her beak which keeps floating around in the wind.

I was leaning toward the female originally because the hawk just looked much bigger and heavier in flight then usual when she came out of the trees and headed away from me. Then when she perched I also thought the toes looked chunky but now I'm not so sure, particularly as the head appears rounded in the photograph. And I'm literal about it being "the photograph". It's the only one the hawk allowed me, even at that distance.

Actually that too made me wonder if it wasn't Mrs. Steam as Mr. has been allowing me to photograph him from about half that distance the last few times I've seen him.

Therefore how about a recommendation from Robin of Illinois in which curious humans actually have found some answers--

RAPTOR FORCE

Nature PBS - peregrine falcons, RT hawks, harpy eagles etc, cams on backs of the birds and the AF using the technology to design better jets.

GREAT shots of the birds in action - especially the stoops.

If you miss this, check listings for Nature PBS this week and try to see it at a different showing.