Subject: Red-shouldered Hawk by the Walla Walla River delta
Date: Sep 28 20:40:06 1997
From: "Andy Stepniewski" - steppie at wolfenet.com


Today (28 Sept), several of us (Bob Woodley, Mike Denny, Ike Eisenhart,
David Mann, Christen Stewart, Andy Stepniewski, Patrick Sullivan) all had
great looks at the Red-shouldered Hawk in the tall willows and black
cottonwoods by the Walla Walla River delta. It was seen both north and
south of the river, today west of Hwy 12 (26th Sept. it was east of the Hwy
when discovered by Mike Denny). The bird clearly called many times and was
seen very well by all those listed above. Besides the call (which is unique
amongst western North American raptors), the strikingly banded tail,
whitish crescents in the wing and rufous-tinged shoulder patches were
noted.

Also on the delta was a lone Red Phalarope and Franklin's Gull. Offshore
was a single Clark's Grebe in company with Westerns.

Altogether, I recorded 60 species on our morning expedition onto the delta,
12 of which were shorebirds (Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, Greater
Yellowlegs, Sanderling, Western, Least, Baird's, and Pectoral Sandpipers,
Long-billed Dowitcher, Common Snipe, and Red-necked and Red Phalaropes. It
was only my second sighting of a Red Phalarope in eastern Washington on the
delta, it was Mike Denny's fourth.

The Garganey has not been seen since 26 Sept., a bird also discovered by
Mike Denny.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA