This morning about 9:15 I caught sight of a flock of crows as it was chasing
a hawk across the sky as viewed from the window. The bird was larger than
the crows and had a long tail and I first thought of a Cooper's Hawk
(female) but immediately crossed that off as I saw that it had pointed wings
and a two tone wing pattern with a darkish tail. The flight feathers were
dark and the coverts light but it did not have the definate line of
distinction that an adult does. I thought Swainson's Hawk.... but in
December and in Clark Co? I watched as it headed south but it was soon gone
and the crows came back having done their deed. I went through the books
thinking what else could it possibly be but the more I studied the more
confirmed I was that it was an IMMATURE SWAINSON'S HAWK. It was like the (A)
drawing on page 38 of "Hawks In Flight" and like 19d page 138 in "Hawks"
(Peterson Field Guide). Sibleys shows a lot of 'green dots' in Oregon and
into Washington in line with the Vancouver-Portland area. Shortly after that
an immature Sharpie male (very small) came into the yard to check things
out.

I know this is not a normal winter-Clark Co bird but then neither are a lot
of the other birds being seen right now. I wish I could have grabbed the
camera and got outside fast enough but that was not the case. Can anyone
convince me otherwise on this identification? I have seen many Swainson's
Hawks (elsewhere, of course).

Sherry Hagen
littlebirder at yahoo.com