I thought I forwarded this last night but don't see it on the tweeters
archive.
****************************************************
Charles E. Swift
charless at moscow.com
Moscow, Idaho


----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Dexter <ronpatdex at juno.com>
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Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 8:19 PM
Subject: Hawk Owl


>
>
> 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
>