Keeping a Hawkeye on the Canal

[BillB48]

Just happened to look at the cam at Agua Clara Locks this morning and was pleased to see I wasn't the only one watching the operation.

 

[Essiesmom]

He was there yesterday, too

 

 

[Essiesmom]

And still there when Caribbean Princess was approaching

 

 

[BillB48]

Some great screen grabs!  Wonder if he is on the payroll??

[Essiesmom]

Do you know what kind of bird he is?  Closest I could find was a bi-colored hawk.  The white on his head doesn’t show on what I find.  Certainly not the bat falcon we used to follow on seacruisechat.  EM

[BillB48]

The short answer is I don't know what kind bird he is.  I was looking at this website... https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_birds_of_Panama#Hawks,_eagles,_and_kites 

There are some "could be", but nothing I can say with any certainty.

[Essiesmom]

Well, for now he is just Hawkeye.  I’ll look for him tomorrow.  EM

[BillB48]

By a very roundabout way, I think we have an ID on our friend Hawkeye!  I sent my pic and a couple of the ones you posted to a friend who is currently on the Ruby Princess headed for the Canal.  He is their Canal Lecturer for this trip.  He thought it might have been an Harpy Eagle, he finally found a birder on the ship and the birder said it was an Osprey.

 

[Essiesmom]

Well, is he on salary, or hourly.  He seems to work long hours…wonder if he gets overtime after midnight?

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Hawkeye was at his post at least past 0200 Sunday morning, but didn’t make any other appearance during the day.  But he is back this afternoon.

 

 

[BillB48]

Glad to see him back on the job!  Maybe he had a little extra time off since it looked like he pulled a double.

[njhorseman]

No wonder it costs so much to do a Panama Canal Transit. This guy must make a fortune in overtime.

 

Many years ago my parents had a family friend who was  NY City subway conductor who had very high seniority in the system. A workday was defined by how many trips the conductor made, not the number of hours he worked. With his seniority he was able to get the plum assignment, the South Ferry Shuttle, which had only two stations that were very, very close to each other. A trip from one to the other took only a minute or two, so it was an overtime bonanza for him every day he worked even if he only worked a few hours.

[Essiesmom]

Apparently he likes mice as well as fish…. Disney Magic in Agua.CLara locks today.  EM

[BillB48]

Maybe he heard they taste like chicken?  Great screen shot!

[Essiesmom]

It appears he has the night shift, too.  Wish they would angle the cam just a teeny bit so we could see less hill on the right, and more canal and bird to the left.  EM

[Essiesmom]

Spotted a different bird this afternoon.  Definitely not an Osprey, and I don’t think it’s a hawk.  Looks more like some kind of vulture.  EM

 

 

[Essiesmom]

I also watch the antenna towers at the Pedro Miguel locks, and often see large black birds there.  Today there is one on the tower at bottom center.  It looks to have some white around the neck, so could be a bay falcon…EM

That’s Zaandam leaving the lock heading for Miraflores.

 

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

Spotted a different bird this afternoon.  Definitely not an Osprey, and I don’t think it’s a hawk.  Looks more like some kind of vulture.  EM

 

 

Got heem!   He’s a vulture.

 

 

[BillB48]

Guess everyone gets a turn at the best seat in the house!  Didn't even see the bird in the PM pic until I really looked closely.

 

[Essiesmom]

Good evening, Hawkeye.  Could you clean the lens, please?  I’m sure there’s an app for that…. EM

 

[Essiesmom]

Hawkeye spent hours here last evening.  Was still there when I went to bed.  Back on duty tonight.

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Seems to have pulled an all-nighter.

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Essiesmom

[BillB48]

Must be in competition for employee of the year!

[Essiesmom]

Another all nighter.  Maybe that Christmas bonus?

‘daylight come and I wanna go home’.  🎶

[Essiesmom]

Seems to show up daily after sundown…