After much discussion with Lynn Erckmann, who has seen it repeatedly, I
think we really need good photos of the UW campus Rough-legged Hawk, or at
least long study and good descriptions. How about it, UW birders? Look for
the entirely feathered legs, characteristic of this species. What exactly
do the tails bars look like? The underside pattern? During discussion, we
fancifully wondered at the possibility of some Siberian buteo. In any case,
it's pretty weird to find a Rough-leg in a wooded environment, eating
pigeons. Lynn saw it dive at something on the water's surface at one point,
another rather odd thing for this normally mouse-eating species. This bird
*has* eaten rats on campus, truer to its evolutionary heritage. Go for it,
hawk!

The hawk has been seen repeatedly around Kincaid Hall, the new physics
building, and I wing of the med school. A cawcas of crows often provides
its location.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416