Hello Don,
This certainly is a sad Story to tell. Wy is this that Accipiters always
take the Most Attractive, Brightest and Rareness of Birds> You message
touched me to loose That kind of Birds. It bring back a similarity few
years back Winter 1994.I had for the first time a White- throated Sparrow
{white-striped phase} in my Yard.My son Patrick was not home {Birding} and
i watched this Bird for awhile took Photos in case this Bird decide, go
other places.we are not in Sparrow Habitat. So i was glued to the window,
when all the sudden a Sharp-shinned Hawk comes sweeping to where the
White-throated Sparrow was feeding.
This happen so fast, i din't see he taken any Birds. All what i saw all the
Birds went in to the Bushes.The Sharp-shinned Hawk din't appear twice.After
a while. all the Birds came back.ONE Bird was missing the White-throated
Sparrow. I looked for days for this Bird, i would never know if he fell
Pray to the Sharpi.All what i have left is the memory, i had a White-
throated Sparrow in my yard and my Photos to prove it.
Ruth
GODWIT at worldnet.att. net

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> From: Don Cecile <dcecile at mail.sd70.bc.ca>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Yellow-throated W. Post-mortem
> Date: Sunday, January 25, 1998 5:30 PM
>
> Hi tweets, it is sad to say, the Yellow-throated Warbler of Gabriola
Island
> became Sharp-shinned Hawk protein today (Jan. 25) after a 3-week stint at
> the feeder on El Verano. Apparently the bird was at the feeder when a
> SShawk arrived and spooked the bird. The warbler flew into the window
and
> was recovering from its daze when the Sharpie picked it up and carried it
> off. Of course this all happened just moments before I arrived!! I was
> able to see a few photos of the bird that the landowners had taken (I
think
> they had adopted the bird as a pet since it had been spending so much
time
> there) along with a few video clips. From what I could see, the bird
> appeared to be a hatchyear male of the albilora race. Some of the photos
> seemed to show bright legs and feet (pink) on an otherwise brightly
plumaged
> bird (not as dull as one might expect for a female) and the flanks
appeared
> streaked with strong black markings whereas the head appeared to be
lacking
> bold black streaks as well as any sign of a black cap. I later turned my
> attention to the fir tree that had apparently harboured the sharpie. I
was
> able to find enough feathers (somehow the ones with yellow fringes hurt
me
> the most) to include a few rectrices. I have the right and left
outermost
> rectrices and the white spot is restricted to the distal third of the web
> and the feathers are rather pointed, worn, indicating they are retained
> juvenile feathers.
>
> Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news.
>
> sincerely,
>
> Don Cecile (dcecile at sd70.bc.ca)
> Vice-Principal
> Mount Klitsa Junior Secondary
> 5100 Tebo Road
> Port Alberni, BC
> V9Y 6Z5
> tel: (250)723-8195
> fax: (250)723-3583