Subject: [Tweeters] Ferruginous Hawks at Wilson Creek?
Date: Jun 19 21:53:47 2006
From: Jack Stephens - jstephens62 at comcast.net


On the way back from the WOS conference, Marvin Cooper and I stopped by
Wilson Creek. We dipped on the Tricolored Blackbirds there; the
increased water in marsh seems to have reduced the number of all species
of blackbirds. We did check out the north side of the marsh, and found
two adult Red-tailed Hawks circling and calling out over a Barn Owl
hunkered down in the rocky outcrops. Further on, we saw two buteos
perched on the rocks near where Ferruginous Hawks have nested in the
past. They acted like juvenile birds, calling out, hopping around and
scratching but never took flight. It was my understanding that the
Ferruginous Hawks that were nesting there had abandoned the nest site,
and I assumed these were recently fledged Red-tails.
In review of my references back home, now I think they could have been
Ferruginous fledglings. There was a nest on the rock face by the perched
birds and white wash on the rock face. Does anyone know if this
Ferruginous nest site is still active? It also raises the question, once
a nest is abandoned, how long does it take for the nest to fall apart
and the whitewash to wash away? In other words, is finding whitewash on
a rock face a sign of recent bird activity, or can that persist for some
weeks or months afterwards?
Thanks in advance for any and all input.

Jack Stephens
jstephens62 at comcast.net
Edmonds, WA