Tom Foote wrote:
>
> On Sat, 21 Sep 1996, Michael Patrick wrote:
>
> > At Martha Lake, a suburbs about 30 miles north of Seattle, I observed a
> > falcon and an accipiter circling high overhead.
>
> [snip]
>
> > > As far as identifying goes, they both appeared rather light on the
> > undersides, and the accipter appeared pin-headed. I don't recall
> > which of the accipiters was described as relatively small headed in
> > proportion to body, would someone be willing to share that field mark?
> > My estimate to size was the accipiter on par with a crow, which only
> > rules out the sharp-shinned...
> >
> Michael--
>
> oddly enough it is the Sharpie that has the smaller head
> in proportion to the rest of its body...and since you did
> say they were *too far away to see any markings* I'd vote
> Sharpie..that being the case, the equivalent size falcon
> was probably a merlin..
>
> > I would enjoy hearing of other inter-specific raptor encounters, as I look
> > forward to the great raptor-watching that the northwest fall and winter
> > offers.
>
> indeed...some of us are puzzling over whether the rodents
> have sufficiently recovered after the Nisqually flood to
> support the usual raptor population we all look forward to
> in Nov..
>
> Saw a great encounter between an adult redtail and a Harlans
> at NWR..the redtail (with a red tail) was trying to rip off
> a vole from the Harlans..
> >
> Tom


In reference to the rodent populations at NWR, try contacting Tom
Buckley at <buckleyt at elwha.evergreen.edu>, he was doing research this
last Spring and Summer on the effects of the floods on the rodent
population and may be able to provide some answers.

Rick Wood
woodr at olywa.net
woodr at elwha.evergreen.edu