Tweets,

After completing a little planting project first thing this morning in
Kingston, I went out to Point no Point to see if I could re-locate the adult
Little Gull that Vic Nelson had yesterday. No luck finding the gull even
though Vic and my brother Dan and I gave it a good attempt from 9:30 until
10:45 or so. There was still a flock of about 500 bonies feeding offshore,
but the telltale black underwings of a Little Gull never appeared.

I arrived at the point shortly after 8:30 and did my usual routine of
walking the trail checking for migrants. There was very little activity
likely due to the brisk south wind. However, at about 9:00 I picked-up on a
soaring buteo heading my way from the south. It immediately struck me as a
Swainson's Hawk because of the longish wings held in a slight dihedral and
narrowish tail (although not as long as a harrier) and body. As it got
closer and flew overhead I was able to get it in my scope and see the
two-toned underwing (dark flight feathers with pale coverts), and when it
turned on two occasions I was able to also see the two-toned upper wings.
Unlike the adult hawk described by Patrick over his yard a few days ago,
this was more likely a sub-adult (juvenile, first-cycle, whatever one would
call a non-adult Swainson's Hawk at this time of year). The underside
coverts, belly, and vent area was a buffy color and not white. The head and
bib was not cleanly defined and dark markings extended onto the chest. I
could not detect banding in the tail - it just looked pale with a dark tip.
I watched it a good portion of the minute plus time as it headed off north
keeping it in my scope view.

I did not see a Western Kingbird at the point, but one was present in the
farmland above and to the south of Hansville.

Cheers,

Brad Waggoner
Bainbridge Island, WA
mailto:wagtail at sounddsl.com