>X-From_: ronpatdex at juno.com Wed Nov 15 20:17:32 2000
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>Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 20:19:50 -0800
>Subject: Hawk Owl
>X-Mailer: Juno 3.0.11
>From: Ron Dexter <ronpatdex at juno.com>
>
>
>
>I found the previously reported Hawk Owl today...Whooopeee!
>
>It is still there where reported by Ken Knittle. Ref: page 104 of
>DeLorme, T34N,R39E,S26 & S35.
>
>I took a few photos, but the light was very poor with heavy overcast.
>Hopefully, the photos will be good enuf for I.D.
>
> I left my home near Mt. Spokane at 10:30 am and found the owl at 12
>noon. It wasn't there at first, but as I searched near the Colville
>River, I looked back towards highway 395 and spotted it in the top of a
>cottonwood .7 mi. N. of milepost 219. I knew instantly that it was the
>NHOW. It was half the size of a Redtail hawk and sat very upright.
> I drove back to the highway and walked slowly towards the trees
> to snap
>a few quick photos. It is a magnificent bird. It's front was very heavily
>barred, but now highly contrasted. I think it is a young bird, but in the
>poor light, I won't bet on it. At one point, it flew to a branch closed
>to me, perhaps 70' away, and it wasn't interested in me.
> Then, it flew off to the East side of highway 395 several
> hundred yards
>away. After a few minutes a Rough-legged Hawk glided towards it and then
>they both flew West over the trees where Ken first reported it and went
>another 100 yds down the small road towards the Waste Management plant
>where I had just come from.
> I went down there with the car to attempt photos with my large
> lens and
>tripod, but it flew back to where I first saw it. There 2 ravens started
>circling it closer and closer to within a few feet. It flew off to the
>evergreens a quarter of a mile to the East with them dogging all the way.
>
> I drove a half mile S, turned left on 12 Mile Rd to the Old State
> Hwy,
>turned left and searched for it. At 1:10pm, I found it atop trees on in a
>side yard on the W. side of the OSH. NHOWs appear very high strung and
>don't stay in one place long. They continuously jerk their head around
>and even hop branches as this one was doing. If they don't find evidence
>of food, they are off to another spot.
> So, again it flew back NW 1/2 way to 395 to cottonwoods
> over Slide
>Creek. After a while, it flew down into a pasture to a railroad tie
>fencepost, then captured a small rodent. It flew back atop a power pole
>on OSH near me. Then into cottonwoods in the backyard of 999 OSH, approx
>100 yds S. of Slide Creek Rd. There it hopped about nervously from limb
>to limb, looking about continously for competitors. It finally settled
>down and ate piece by piece.
> It preened and rested for a while. At 1:50 it flew West towards
> 395 and
>disappeared from sight. While searching for it again, I watched a Bald
>Eagle fly up the valley and found a N. Shrike on the lines near Westover
>and OSH. It was getting a little darker, so I decided to search for it
>down by the Colville River where I was when I first spotted it. At 2:50,
>I found it high in a decicuous tree West of the RR tracks. It hopped a
>few branches, then flew SW a couple hundred yards atop more cottonwoods
>by the river. It was now 3:00 and I headed for home. Arrived home at
>4:30pm. A very successful 6 hr. I was happy, happy, happy.
>
>This is my 2nd NHOW. I watched and photoed the one at Cheney in 1997 for
>several weeks. It is my opinion that this one may stay here for a while.
>But when more snow comes to this valley, I believe it will move further
>South. So, if you want to see this one--go soon. Be careful along 395. It
>is a narrow hwy, so get off the road. Good luck-----any questions?
>E-mail me if you go with your results. There are plenty of places to eat
>nearby and I believe you can stay in Colville. If not, it's only one hour
>from Spokane. Remember, Ken and Marv Breece saw it last weekend and I saw
>it today, Wed.
>
>good luck---Ron Dexter----OCIE

=========================
Charles E. Swift
Moscow, Idaho
charless at moscow.com
******************************************