The SWAINSON'S HAWK found by Lyn Topinka last week was at the Vancouver Lake
Unit of Shillapoo Wildlife Area on Thursday, 4 December. It was there when
I arrived at 12:55 p.m., and still there when I left at 2:35 p.m. It spent
the majority of this time hunting the field west of the road (and caught two
voles during this period).

Also present at this location was a single LINCOLN'S SPARROW in a loose
flock of GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS. A pair of adult PEREGRINE FALCONS made a
brief appearance and then headed toward downtown Vancouver. A beautiful
dark morph RED-TAILED HAWK was also in the area.

Once again, the hybrid NORTHERN SHOVELER X BLUE-WINGED TEAL was at the River
S Unit of Ridgefield NWR. I found it with my scope from the south end of
Rest Lake. When its head was tucked in, it was extremely hard to
distinguish from nearby Cinnamon Teal -- the breast and flanks appeared
almost identical. Fortunately, it popped its head out twice in the 30 or so
minutes I was scanning for it, and the crescent on the face was very
obvious, even at a distance. This bird is very interesting in that it has a
red breast that matches its flanks, and the color is like a Cinnamon Teal, a
green head with a yellow eye that matches a Northern Shoveler, and a face
crescent that matches a Blue-winged Teal.

Scott Carpenter
Portland, Oregon