Tweets,

my brief comments on raptor flight characteristics got me thinking:
I've occasionally been surprised to see a harrier soaring in a
thermal like a buteo. I've seen this enough times that I shouldn't be
surprised by it any more, but I still am. It just seems out of
character, given their normal hunting flight. As for white-tailed
kites, I don't think I've ever seen one soaring. I wonder if this is
due to their being relatively non-migratory, or physiologically not
well suited to soaring, or something else.

A few days ago, I watched a couple of red-tails soar in the thermal
off the roof of my house. It was interesting to see them slowly
circle to the north-east; the breeze that was almost imperceptible at
ground level was obviously moving the thermal as it rose.
--
Rob Saecker
Olympia
rsaecker at thurston.com