Subject: another Red-shoulder in WA
Date: Oct 20 19:11:41 2002
From: Birdking88 at aol.com - Birdking88 at aol.com


Hey Tweeters,
This afternoon I tried to relocate the grackle found yesterday at the
Supermall parking lot in Auburn. Spent quite a bit of time there, but the
grackle did not appear to be present among the Brewer's Blackbirds, which
were walking around the parking lot picking pre-killed insects off the
windshield and radiators of parked cars. At 3:30pm, I noticed several raptors
in the air above the Sam's Club parking lot. Two of the birds were Red-tails,
an adult and an immature. The other bird was somewhat smaller, but obviously
a buteo by shape. I noticed bright white flashes near the base of the
primaries both above and below. Knowing that Red-tails can occasionally have
a similar wing pattern in a certain molt, I checked flight pattern and the
tail. Before I could get a clear view of the tail, however, the bird called
(a loud, high pitched, two-noted kee-aar!) three times and tossed all doubt
of it being a Red-shouldered Hawk to the side. I viewed it for another 30
seconds at fairly close range, noting the proportionately long and strongly
banded tail, and the rapid wingbeat (flying somewhere between an accipiter
and a buteo). This juvenile bird eventually moved to the south down the Hwy
167 corridor. I believe this is only the second King County record. With the
4 or 5 sightings from Clark Co, 1 or 2 in the Skagit Flats, 1 in Pacific Co,
and now this bird, this species certainly appears to be increasing in the
state.

Good luck,

Charlie Wright
Birdking88 at aol.com
Sumner, WA