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> From: Ruth Sullivan <godwit at worldnet.att.net>
> To: tweeters at u.wasington.edu
> Subject: White-tailed Kites near Tenino,TH
> Date: Sunday, February 28, 1999 3:55 PM
>
> Hello Tweets,
>
> My mother and I observed 2 WHITE-TAILED KITES today, west of Tenino
between
> 12pm-2pm, where both birds were observed ONLY south of Pacific Hwy.SE in
> Rock Prairie, which is the first large,open area observed west of the
town,
> and south of the highway. The first bird was located at the end of Mima
> Acres Rd., which is accessed off of Pacific Hwy in a low bush,where it
was
> approached at the nearest distance of 120 ft., then flew east towards the
> south end of a large gravel pit, then briefly perched in a low fir, then
> flew again to the north, closer to the pit. We travelled back to the
> highway, then to the entance of the gravel pit, then walked out into Rock
> Prairie, attempting to search for the kite, which my mother successfully
> located first, in a low bush west of the gravel pit. We walked towards
the
> bird, only to watch it fly up to nearly 80 ft. above the ground, hovered,
> before dropping lower, then resumed several times this behavior before a
> second bird appeared from the west, then both birds joined briefly,
before
> seperating. The weather was mainly partially sunny with occassional
> showers, being heavy at times. Other birds in the vicinity of Rock
Prairie
> included: 15 B.B.PLOVERS, 28 DUNLIN, 1 AM.KESTREL, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 4
> W.SCRUB JAYS(Tenino), 25 W.MEADOWLARKS.
>
> Patrick Sullivan
> GODWIT at worldnet.att.net