Hi tweets, I have temporarily relocated to the university campus in Victoria
BC. I have not been able to do any birding for quite some time. Just when
you are not thinking of birds at all (walking on campus toward the library)
a strange noise is heard from above. My mind is too caught up in academia
to process the information that my ears have received. Finally after a few
calls from this bird, I decide that it is some strange young bird in the
tree tops calling for food. I then realized as the bird made its way over
an open area in the sky that it was in fact a raptor. My first impression
was that of a falcon with its long winged and long tailed look. The sound
it was making was certainly no reminder of Peregrine and it was much too
large for the smaller falcons. I thought perhaps it was a Prairie Falcon
since it was making a sound that was unfamiliar to me. Then my mind jumped
from falcon to hawks. The sound was much more hawk-like than falcon-like
but the shape of the bird didn't fit the local common hawks. It was long
tailed, long winged and the wings were held at a slight dihedral as the bird
glided along. Otherwise the flight was of an accipter nature (flap and
glide). The sound of the bird would likely be diagnostic if I could
describe it or if I heard it again. It reminded me of the call of
Red-shouldered hawk except not so harsh and more of a whistled note. But
certainly not the whistled note of a Broad-winged hawk.

Anyway, one of those times when you get fleeting glimpses of birds and no
binoculars around for miles. I wonder if anyone in the Victoria area has
seen any interesting raptors lately?

Cheers,

Don Cecile

dcecile at cln.etc.bc.ca
Cheers,

Don Cecile
dcecile at UVic.CA or dcecile at cln.etc.bc.ca