Subject: Ferruginous Hawk east of Prosser, WA - 9 February 2002
Date: Feb 10 06:45:57 2002
From: Andy Stepniewski - steppie at nwinfo.net


Tweeters,

Yesterday (9 February 2002), Ellen and I observed an adult light-phase
Ferruginous Hawk soaring over the eastern Horse Heaven Hills about 8 miles
east of Prosser WA. We were on a short hike south from I-82 (leave at Exit
88, go west on south frontage road to road end, then head cross country
south up into hills). This hike takes one steeply up the north flanks of
the Horse Heaven Hills, the hills here a mish mash of hill and dale, due to
past landslides. It mostly north-facing and grown to a fine cover of native
bunchgrasses. A habitat mosaic is provided by varying soil depths, so one is
never in the same plant community for long. En route, in areas of shallow
soil, we noted two wildflowers in bloom, Lomatium gormanii and Lomatium
canbyi. Up and up, we reacheds views of rimrock. Here, a pair of Prairie
Falcons were hanging around the outcrops. A pair of Common Rvens were also
nearby. The Ferruginous Hawk was noted in this area.

Though Horned Lark was noted in the weedy terrain at the hikes start and in
wheatfields at the top, I neither saw nor heard any on the hike proper. Yet,
I believe an April visit here would reveal larks in this terrain.

Towards late afternoon, small groups of Common Ravens were seen flying
northeast to the direction of Rattlesnake Mountain from the south. In all,
we detected about 35 birds, heading, presumably, towards their roost.