Rob and Tweeters,

Harriers are definitely attracted by certain squeaking noises. One day
last year at Point Roberts, I was walking along a trail near the Point
Roberts Marina, using an "Audubon Squeaker" to try to get responses
from sparrows, wrens and other small birds. (As I am "spish
challenged", and can rarely attract anything by my attempts at
spishing, I find that squeakers usually work very well.) Suddenly, a
Northern Harrier came barrelling over some shrubbery straight toward
me, and veered off when less than 15 feet away, when he realized that
I was not a mouse. I certainly had not intended to attract a harrier
with the squeaker, but obviously, this method has possibilities!

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net


----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Sandelin <floriferous at msn.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 31, 2004 6:22 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] How to attract Northern Harriers


> I was out in North Creek Park today, south of Mill Creek. As I
slowly walked
> along the boardwalk a motion caught my eye. It was a slow moving
Townsends
> Vole. I crouched down and the vole walked up to me, so I grabbed it,
> carefully holding it by the skin behind the neck so it would not
bite me. I
> was cursing myself that I did not have my camera and then I decided
to bring
> the little fellow home for a wild new years eve (for him) shoot
pictures
> tommorrow then return him home news year day. As I walked back to my
car,
> lost in thought of how I could get my new furry friend home I heard
a very
> high pitched sound, which was coming from the vole! A few moments
later,
> from out of nowhere, a northern harrier popped up out of the grass
and flew
> close overhead, then banked, followed the edge of the boardwalk,
then turned
> back. Just then the vole "shrieked" again and the harrier came right
over
> head. It closely banked again, doubled back and came as close to me
as I
> think I have ever been to that particular hawk. I was concerned
that the
> hawk might actually snatch the little morsel from my hand, so I put
it in my
> pants pocket. (thank goodness for cargo pockets). I am glad nobody
asked me
> why I was walking funny, holding my pants pocket top as I went back
to the
> car. Fortunately a naturalist always has containers of all sizes in
the car
> for just such situations.
>
> Rob Sandelin
> Naturalist, Writer, teacher
>