[Birdtalk] Say the word "Hawk" and stuff happens

[John Morgan]

Coming home from St. George today after visiting our almost 21-year-old daughter and husband....

Somewhere close to Kanarraville (knowing it was going to be a fairly birdless trip home), I threw out the challenge to my wife Carma: "OK, let's see who can see the first hawk--meaning any hawk/eagle/falcon."

Say the word and stuff happens! From Kanarraville to Beaver it was "Raven....Raven....Raven...ravenous Raven....(boooorrringgg)...other than they are smart." Suddenly near Beaver we both spotted our first Red-Tailed Hawk. Then things really started to happen. Saw a hovering Rough-Legged/Broad Tailed/Swainson's** (light underside with dark spot on elbow joint...you guess)...then another something similar (hawk ID'ing is difficult, especially from a car, what with all the variations of immature Red-Tails). Then, at one of the summits between Beaver and Filmore, we saw two unmistakeable Bald Eagles straight above the highway coring some lift! Surprise of the trip! Later, we saw the form of a Northern Harrier some distance from the freeway, and another buteo of some sort closer to Filmore.
Sorry, the lack of ID'ing is not going to keep me from noticing and enjoying. I was surprised there were so many hawks in the area, and that area had received 10" snow.

To prove Carma's budding birding, she saw the first hawk at the same time I did. And lately, she's been the one to interrupt conversation with a "Hey, there's a _____". Pretty cool.
John

**this time of year? Not likely. Who else likes to hover? It was the size of a Swainson's but I know they migrate so I won't venture an ID.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://secureserver.securesites.net/pipermail/birdtalk/attachments/20071202/1c67bb92/attachment.htm