Tweeters,

While poking around the Fill this evening, skulking because I couldn't go
shooting off to look for Little Stints, I was shock to have a Red-shouldered
Hawk fly right by me.

It was a juvenile bird being pursued by a whole flock of starlings and a few
crows. They drove it from over the marshy area by the stadium over the
field and into the trees surounding the main pond. I hustled over there and
got a quick look at it perch low in a small branch overhanging the pond.
Unfortunately, it was so well hidden that I didn't see it until I was too
close and after 5-6 seconds it took off again toward the tall trees on the
east side of the Fill and disappeared.

While Red-shouldered Hawk isn't an extremely unusual species in the state I
was completely shocked to find one in the middle of Seattle in early August!

Also at the Fill:
3 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Spotted Sandpiper
6 Least Sandpipers
1 Long-billed Dowitcher

Cameron Cox
Seattle, WA
Nikon Birding Market Specialist

Cameron_cox at hotmail.com