Subject: Re: Rough-legs (was Peregrine Falcon)
Date: Aug 8 14:53:21 1998
From: Rob Saecker - rsaecker at thurston.com


At 12:14 AM -0700 8/8/98, Jerry and Sandy Converse wrote:
>Now how am I supposed to figure out what they look like when I don't
>even call them the right name. ie subject is--"Rough-legs" instead of
>Rough-legged. Now that I have the name right there should be no problem.

Uh oh, watch your language around Jerry. ;-) But really, when you're
driving down the road and you see one of these hawks, do you say, "Look,
there is a rough-legged hawk."? Or do you holler, "Rough-leg."? I'm just
using the vernacular, which has the added advantage of fewer letters to
type, a benefit to those of us who are typing challenged. Besides, I
noticed you didn't complain about red-tail or ferruge. ;-)
>
>I have Wheeler and Clark (borrowed from a friend) and there are 'only'
>20 pictures of "Rough-legged Hawks"

This is where _Hawks in Flight_ has the advantage. They have a slew of
photos in the back of the book, but the illustrations that accompany the
text give you only three variations, which suggest the range of
possibilities without overwhelming you. Again, an oversimpification, but it
makes getting started easier. In addition, the illustrations make comparing
different species *much* easier, because all the birds are illustrated from
the same perspective.

>This last early spring we could go out and see 5 or 6 RLHA (can't miss
>spell that way) on any given day, but they must have been all females <snip>
>
>All we have been looking for is the dark carpal (wrist) patch.

Actually, if all you've been looking for are the carpal spots, I suspect
that you've mostly been seeing immatures, because the carpal spots are much
more prominent on juveniles.

>I like that word "carpel" I also like "superciliary" and "pre-basic
>molt".

And to think I consciously used wrist instead of carpal, just to avoid
confusing you. Won't make that mistake again. :-)

>Lastly--I would like, again, to thank all those that contributed to our
>(Sandy and I) education on "Roughies". Another 20 years and we will have
>it down pretty well, Of course by then at age 78 I will probably be
>sitting in the car and saying "hey hon-ney is that a
>bird". -)

Nah, shouldn't take you more than 15...

Rob Saecker
Olympia