At 7:12 PM -0500 1/17/98, StahlfeldE wrote:
>
>While in Atlanta I saw a hawk I couldn't identify, and perhaps someone could
>help. The shape was most like a Cooper's as it circled up until it was out of
>sight (never flapping its wings). What puzzled me was that it appeared all
>dark (the sun was behind it) except for a flash of white at the base of the
>tail when the sun caught it just right. Could this be just the reflection of
>the sun, as with crows? Has anyone ever noticed this with a Cooper's?

The white undertail coverts on a Cooper's hawk will show quite dramatically
at times, particularly if the bird has fluffed them out, and the appearance
can suggest white on the top of the tail. Given a backlit bird soaring up
into the sky, this is probably what you saw.

>The Northern Harrier does winter in Georgia, but I thought they generally
>stayed nearer the ground rather than soaring out of sight (if I had the
>tail/wing length proportion all wrong).

Harriers are more than willing to soar, if the conditions are right. But I
still have to double check them sometimes, because I expect to see them
down low.