Steve's note makes an excellent segway to mention an interesting observation
from this weekend. After completing my area for the Ellensburg CBC on
saturday, I went poaching for interesting raptors (was mainly looking for
certain white owls that have decided to make it a "white christmas" this
year). I found none of the owls, however found a very pale looking red-tail
that was a light-morph harlan's hawk. I have now seen 5 of such birds in the
past 4 winters in eastern washington. This was the palest of them all,
nearly a fully white head, faint markings of a belly band and the rest of
the front and head was complete creamish white. The wings and tail were
clearly red-tail, but were of a washed out markings and the tail was at best
a whitish gray coloring. This alone would have been quite a sight, but what
should appear but a soaring "normal" harlan's overhead. This was a personal
first for me, to be able to observe both morphs of Harlan's hawk within the
same view. Quite a learning experience! These hawks can look VERY striking
but have found nothing in any of these 5 birds that cannot be placed to
light morph Harlan's hawk. I echo Steve's comment that much more information
on the ID would be wonderful on such a difficult ID.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA