This bird has me stumped. Too many trees to get a better angle. Was large and disappeared in the blink of the eye after the arrival of two crows while I tried to get a better view of it. Had thought i was looking at an owl but it was its tail. Large bird.

Dark overall with heavy streaking extending on undertail coverts. Unfortunately the light was not great from this angle but I am uploading some photos including two with manipulated contrast from the RAW shots to bring the plumage pattern to light.

Thanks go to all of you and Eli G for confirming my thoughts that this is a dark morph red- tailed hawk. I was so amazed and a bit puzzled when I first spotted it being so very dark. Later in the day I spotted another dark morph not sure if it’s the same one but clearly from the same family. The 2nd one was spotted about 1/4 mile from where I saw the first one. On a side note the owner of the property had rescued a hawk looking like this a couple of years earlier. Had a gunshot wound. It was rehabilitated and released back on his property when it healed a few months later. I work at the rescue center he took it to.

I've been looking for this species for what seems like forever. Wow, there it was - along the beach in the early morning. Thank you, @dpom & @greglasley for all the hundreds of " No, Liam, that's a Kestrel. " Worth the hunt....

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2nd cycle bird, pearly blue cast to mantle and scaps, outer rects patterned, primaries had more of a HERG ghost pattern. Gentle, attenuated curve to upper mandible.
Wing pattern in this hybrid seems to hold true
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wlIpzGue6SY/VKhcVFzr-zI/AAAAAAAAELU/eXEE4XkzWK0/s1600/1711.jpg
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Similar to bird previous reported here
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/66719439
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hybrid Gilded x Red-shafted, which is apparently not in the iNaturalist taxonomy. I will put in a request to add it. Red-orange remiges, blocky black chest patch, cinnamon cap extending onto the nape, with brownish-gray cheeks

Following Phillip (1986) and Browning (1992) and described in the Cornell Birds of the World species account (Geupel and Ballard).:

Systematics History
C. f. rufula Ridgway, 1903 [type locality = Nicasio, Marin County, California].

Distribution
Coastal NW California, USA from Oregon border S to San Francisco Bay area.

Identification
Like C. f. phaea, but more rufescent overall with flanks rich tawny brown.

Grayish Solitary Vireo, not colorful enough for Cassin's unless very worn. Neck delineation not crisp enough for Blue-headed even with a somewhat soft focus. Wouldn't be the first Plumbeous reported here this time of year but alternative ideas would be welcome.