10/13/2026
Angel is back!! She is the rarest wild bird living year round in the state of Nebraska.
Angel is NOT an albino. Albinos have pink eyes and all white feathers. Angel has dark eyes, and a mostly red tail. You can see a bit of red behind the cedar branch.
Angel is a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk. Leucism is a rare gene that causes lack of pigmentation in the feathers making them appear white.
As she aged, Angel has became almost all white. Her wings look like "angel wings" when she soars overhead. Hence the nickname, Angel.
Actually, Angel never left. She has lived along the same part of the river for over a decade. During nesting season she becomes a "ghost" and disappears for months.
I haven't seen her since Feb. I have made a dozen trips looking for her. We are always concerned that something has happened and she won't return.
Then on the 13th trip this week she suddenly appeared on the top of cedar tree as if to say: "Here I am Ole Photog, catch me if you can!"
Angel is not kind to Photogs! She takes flight faster than any Red-tail I've seen. That is probably why she has survived so long through all the Nebraska winters.
I only got one "butt shot" of her taking off this time. My dream shot is her banking with red tail fanned. Now that we have met again ... "I'll be back".
Stay tuned. If you want to see her red tail, I'll be posting a take off shot tomorrow.
Photog Nerd Data:
Canon R5mkII, 200-800@800mm, distance 63m, f/9, 1/5000, 0 EV, ISO 1250
