This is a lot of whitish raptors being reported over the last year from an
area that is really more suitable for accipiters than buteos, falcons, or
Snowy Owls. It's a good example of the odd things one sees more in the
mind's eye than in reality when barreling along I-90 at 70 mph. A Gyr or a
Snowy Owl up there would be a real eye-opener, but very unlikely. Scott
Atkinson's Barn Owl suggestion sounds plausible, or maybe even a whitish
Rock Dove -- a species that roosts and nests around freeway bridges, like at
Exit 25 or Exit 28, as in last winter's report of the Gyr.

Paul Webster
Seattle
paul.webster at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From: <mgd at u.washington.edu>
To: <hughbirder at bigzoo.net>
Cc: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2003 11:44 AM
Subject: Re: Snowy Owl


> This is the area where in past winters a white gyrfalcon has been
reported. I know someone when to check it out and it was an albino red-tail.
Perhaps it is the same bird?
> Mike Donahue
> Seattle
>
>
> On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 hughbirder at bigzoo.net wrote:
>
> > I am at the office of the East Lake Washington Audubon office on Monday
> > mornings. There was a message on the phone answering machine regarding
> > sighting Snowy Owls near North Bend. The name of the person leaving the
> > message was not clear and she did not leave a phone number. She reported
> > that she saw a Snowy Owl at exit 25 from I-90. She had binocs and said
she
> > got a good look. She then went to exit 27 and saw a female Snowy Owl
> > there. Has anyone else seen these birds and can verify the sightings?
> > HUgh Jennings
> > Bellevue, WA
> > hughbirder at bigzoo.net
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>