At 08:35 PM 10/6/97 -0000, you wrote:

>it dawned on me that I should have photographed it for a more certain ID,
but darkness was coming on, and I didn't want to stress the bird more than
necessary (Science thwarted once again in the interests of compassion to
the individual....).

Oh, Jon, sure you weren't just too lazy to grab that 'ole camera and flash
you have loaded with film on the banding table? :)

(this is really what you should do. at the Goshutes, we try to ensure
there's a camera in each blind for this very reason, i.e. the falcons with
14 tail feathers, that kind of thing). Anyway, this is an example of why
even an evening of semi-recreational banding (I'm not implying you're not
serious, simply that you opened your mistnet rather than a can of beer)
shouldn't be started without being ready to document strange captures.
And, the camera's a great tool to that end.

>If anyone could shed some light on this bird, I'd appreciate it.

Flashes shed light on birds, not me :)

Any chance of getting your sketch on the web?


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies at
http://donb.photo.net