>Dear Bruce,
>
>I am the hotline operator in question. I did not "brush off" the
>sighting but did not have time myself to attempt to confirm it, though I
>passed the word via the hotline and privately to others that if they got
>the chance they should check it out. It is not that obvious a contrast
>in many cases.

This is your right as hotline operator. However, birds may not wait around
long enough to be confirmed by experts. Otherwise why a hotline.

>I intend no impugning of your abilities but have been
>fooled myself on occasion and know of others who have been. Male
>harriers are not bulky but quite graceful. Also, since I have been
>avidly birding in King County for the last 24 years and have never seen
>one nor have many other active local birders I believe there is reason to
>be cautious with such reports. Kites, in my experience, have tended to
>be rather persistent in their attachment to place in Washington State
>and it should be likely that one (or a pair) may soon take up residence.
>The Duvall location seems like a good place for them, but Bellevue does
>not, nor residential Seattle, another recent location from which they
>have been reported by reliable observers. All I can say is that we treat
>observations of birds beyond their known range with appropriate
>scepticism, a scepticism which we extend to all, including ourselves and
>our friends. I hope you treat our scepticism in that light.

Following my first comment, a couple years ago in Douglas Co. (E.
Wenatchee) a reported kite turned out to be an escaped cockatiel!
Fortunately, I was too busy to chase the bird.


>Yours,
>
>Gene Hunn (ex-hotline coordinator & member Washington Ornithological
>Society bird records review committee: hunn at u.washington.edu)

Thanks for your excellent and dedicated work.

Jerry Tangren