Giant raptor, what was it?

[JonT]

Sorry, no photo, got a video I can upload later.

I was fishing Goose Lake in Washington, north of Carson. There was a pretty large adult osprey hovering for a while and finally dove on a trout. As it fley off with the trout a gigantic bird I've never seen before started chasing it. This bird absolutely dwarfed the osprey. Later, I saw this bird harassing an adult bald eagle, and was amazed that it was considerably larger than the bald eagle. It looked dark gray and it's underwings had lighter-gray patches on them. Its head seemed to poke slightly further forward than a hawk or eagle's head.

I know it wasn't a bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, turkey vulture or California condor. It couldn't have been a Harpy eagle or martial eagle, as they are located on different continents entirely. I don't know of any eagles or hawk in the Pacific northwest that are larger than bald eagles. I thought golden eagle adults were the same size as bald eagles, maybe slightly larger, but they have completely brown wings.

Got a crappy video, but you can't see the markings. Its head seemed to poke slightly further forward than a hawk or eagle's head. Any ideas???

 

[JonT]

Upon research, it appears that the bird was a golden eagle. I didn't know they had lighter markings on their underwings. Cool!

 

[GraphiteZen]

You sure it wasn't a pterodactyl?

 

[JonT]

You sure it wasn't a pterodactyl?

It was definitely some sort of dinosaur.

 

[rogerdodger]

sparrow from Fukushima?

 

[billfisher]

^^

 

[troutdude]

Tweety Bird on roids?

 

[autofisher]

It could have been a ferruginous hawk as they are North America's largest soaring hawk and return to Washington State in the spring time.

Oops didn't see that you had already identified it.

 

[JonT]

It could have been a ferruginous hawk as they are North America's largest soaring hawk and return to Washington State in the spring time.

Oops didn't see that you had already identified it.

Well, dang. Never heard of a ferruginous hawk before, and no mention of it in my quick research. Judging by a google image search, that is definitely the one! THANKS.