Hi Folks

Well, I didn't know what I knew! Elaine and I met up with
Sandy and Jerry Converse (and others from Seattle ) to
look at the Rustic Bunting near Leavenworth and Kent Ponds
were discussed. I had seen Jerry and Sandy's video of a
Sharp-shinned Hawk coughing up a pellet and should have
suspected that other raptors would do the same. I also
learned that as Charles Pell commented that raptor pellets
are less well 'consolidated' and that the prey are not 'complete'.
These pellets, in my opinion, are complete. The number of pellets,
conservatively, is at least 50.

The pellets under the pines can be accessed at any time as
they are not within the fenced area. By the way, the school
had us pay $2 for an owl pellet for Nick to disect in 6th Grade
Biology class --- and some of these are really interesting.
Most appear to have mice/shrew/vole parts and others
have small birds.

Thanks for the feedback.

Bob Taylor
Sumner, WA
taylorrt at msn.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Ruth Taylor <rutht at seanet.com>
To: taylorrt at email.msn.com <taylorrt at email.msn.com>
Date: Sunday, January 10, 1999 4:13 PM
Subject: Re: Kent ponds


>At 04:52 PM 1/9/99 -0800, you wrote:
>
>>Elaine and I made a stop by Kent Ponds a few days ago and we were struck
by
>>the number of pellets around the west tower. Then we went to the grove of
>>pine trees arrayed in a sort of 'L' just to the north of the gate that
>>accesses the west tower. There we found more than 50 pellets scattered
>>under the trees. We checked the trees carefully but did not find an owl.
>>Later in the day while talking to another birder he suggested that they
were
>>'red-tailed hawk' pellets. I do not believe that the hawks would perch in
>>that dense a type tree and regurgitate pellets. In fact, I had not known
>>they regurgitated pellets (my ignorance???)
>>
>
>Hi.
>Red-tailed hawks (and peregrines, and other hawks and falcons) do cast
>pellets. Generally, since they tear their prey up rather than swallowing it
>whole like owls (unless it's really big - then owls tear it up, too), their
>pellets are less likely to contain identifiable remains. Owl pellets are
>fun because they often have complete little rodent skulls and other parts
in
>them.
>I don't get down to the Kent ponds as often as I should, but I know that
>owls do roost in that grove of trees. I've heard of Great Horned Owls
>roosting there, and I know there was a Barn Owl there for a few days last
>winter. I expect that you'll hear from some of the people who bird that
>area regularly. BTW, I have seen red-tails in small, dense trees a few
>times. It always seems odd, especially if the bird is only about 5 or 6
feet
>off the ground. I assume that they do that when they've spotted some
rodent
>action below and are waiting for the potential meal to move so they can
pounce.
>
>Ruth Taylor
>Seattle
>