Except I know what an osprey looks like (I have seen them flying overhead in
the area), and this wasn't an osprey. The shape of the bird was different.
It was shaped like a buteo hawk.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,
-Jacki

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim McCoy [mailto:jfmccoy at earthlink.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 12:26 AM
To: 'Jacki Bricker'; 'Tweeters (E-mail)'
Subject: RE: Ferruginous Hawk?


Jacki --

Your description sounds just like an osprey, which are frequently found
in Redmond.

Jim McCoy
jfmccoy at earthlink.net
Redmond, WA



-----Original Message-----
From: Jacki Bricker [mailto:seaotter at eskimo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 8:29 AM
To: Tweeters (E-mail)
Subject: Ferruginous Hawk?



Am I crazy, or is it possible that I saw a Ferruginous Hawk yesterday in
Redmond?

Last night, as I was driving home through the Sammamish Slough Valley (where
116th and 124th cross the valley, just south of Grousemont Estates, I saw a
hawk flying overhead. I slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road
to get a better look and see what it was. Granted, I couldn't get the best
view out my car window, but here's what I was able to identify:

A buteo-sized (large!) hawk with a light underside, and a V of darker, brown
feathers on the wing linings. It looked like a single line, like the letter
V (as opposed to the space filled in with color), but I could be mistaken
there. Of specific note was dark wing tips on the outermost primary
feathers. The tail was shorter than a Northern Harrier, and I couldn't see
significant striping (like you'd see in an RT or Sharp-Shinned Hawk).

This was about all I could ID with the fast look that I got. But it was an
unusual enough sighting for me to go home and consult my field guide. The
closest thing I can see from the photos there was a Ferruginous Hawk, but it
appears from the range map that they only occur on the east side of the
Cascades (roughly).

Which prompts me to ask: Has anyone here seen a Ferruginous on the west
side of the mountains (in the Redmond-ish area)? If it wasn't a
Ferruginous, could someone offer some suggestions as to what it might have
been?

Thanks in advance!
-Jacki Bricker
Woodinville, Washington