Caracara

For several days there was an unusual bird sitting in one of the oak trees by the front gate. From a distance it looked about the size of a buzzard, but had different coloring more like a hawk or an eagle.

I went out several times to investigate and managed to take a few photos. I was afraid to get too close for fear it would fly off. I don't have a zoom lens, so my photos aren't that good.

After searching some on the internet, the best I can tell it was a type of falcon, possibly the Crested Caracara. It had an orange beak and feet, white neck, darker crested head, speckled chest, and tail feathers. Here are a couple of articles about them from Audubon and Agrilife.