Fish Snake for lunch. Red-tailed Hawk

Notice the fish in the talons in the top photo.

Update 4: Via Ryan Brady it's hard to tell from the photos, but Fox Snake or Water Snake seems most likely perhaps depending on the habitat where you saw it.
Water Snake
Fox Snake

Reply: This hawk was photographed along U.S. 2 between Iron River and Ino Wisconsin.

Update 3: One reader via email suggests that the prey is a lizard. I think the size is quite large for a lizard in northern Wisconsin.

Update 2: Via Ryan Brady "the raptor is an immature Red-tailed Hawk, i.e. hatched last spring/summer. They look really pale, esp. on the head, this time of year due to feather wear/fading. The bird will molt new plumage later this summer and look more "normal."

Update 1: After discussion with others I believe we have decided the prey probably is not a fish but rather a snake. No one can ID the snake but again via Ryan Brady "Red-tails readily eat snakes, but fish would be quite unusual (though possible)"


Thanks again to Ryan Brady. Visit his website if you are a birder.