Tweeters,

We got into Boston sleepless from Seattle Tuesday AM.

I had a long and colorful post to share with you about the hardship of
chasing a rare bird and not "getting" it, but I'm going to copy and
paste this Massbirds post instead.

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Subject: Thoughts and question on the Red-footed Falcon "departure"
From: "Geoff LeBaron" <glebaron AT comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 21:48:21 -0400

Greetings Massbirders,

My condolences go to all the folks that first arrived at Katama Airfield

after noon or so yesterday--just after the Red-footed Falcon apparently
disappeared. I have a bit of second-hand insight from at least two of
the
people who arrived there at 1pm Tuesday, resulting in a question to
Massbirders and anyone else reading this message.

Frank Gill and Sally Conyne (basking in the glow of their recent
retirement
from the helm of National Audubon's Science division) arrived at Katama
Airfield at 1pm yesterday--just after the last sighting (as of tonight,
Wednesday evening) of the Red-footed Falcon. They'd just driven down
from
the Adirondaks, and were on the ferry with newly arriving birders from
California, Oregon, and other far-flung locations. While beginning
their
fruitless search for the falcon they noted a large, thus probably
female,
Cooper's Hawk flying away shortly thereafter--with a very full crop. As

reported by many others, they were among the crowd of birders that were
not
able to see the bird yesterday afternoon.

Now some background for the question--Coops are documented to take avian

prey as large as Ring-necked Pheasants, Ruffed Grouse, and American
Crows,
and have been mentioned as taking American Kestrels. A Red-footed
Falcon,
especially a (small) young male bird in heavy molt and with easily
followed
daily movements, could potentially fall into this prey category as well.

I would be very curious to hear, either off list or on Massbird, if any
other observers looking for the (Western) Red-footed Falcon in the early

afternoon of Tuesday, August 24th noticed any interactions between the
Red-footed Falcon and other birds of prey, or noted the Cooper's Hawk in
the
area. Also, it would be interesting to hear if the Red-footed Falcon's
molt
had proceeded far enough as of Tuesday that the flight feathers had been

fully replaced, facilitating a self-powered departure.

Here's to hoping that this marvelous bird shows up elsewhere--Maine,
Nova
Scotia, or New Jersey--and answers my question regarding a definitive
interaction with a Cooper's Hawk.

Good birding,

Geoff LeBaron
Williamsburg MA
glebaron AT comcast.net

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Larry Schwitters
Issaquah
No longer feeling sorry for myself.