Hi Everyone,

This morning for several hours I birded the Three Forks Natural Area near Snoqualmie. It was a gorgeous morning weather-wise and I had some good birds, but all of the to-be-expected variety. However, on the way back to the car, I saw a buteo soaring at perhaps 200 feet elevation and about 80-100 yards distant. Obviously just another Red-tailed Hawk, I thought - until I put the binocs on it. Following is a full description of the bird from my field notes.

Soaring, circling buteo. Viewed underside of hawk with 10x50 Leica binocs while soaring; unable to see dorsal surfaces sufficiently to describe. Obvious lack of dark patagial patches characteristic of Red-tailed Hawk. Underwing coverts all light colored - buffy/ivory color - with very few markings consisting of a few darker brownish spots. Primary and secondary flight feathers much darker than underwing coverts, primarily brownish in color. Tail alternately light and dark banded, bands relatively closely spaced and numerous (estimate more than six). No obvious terminal or subterminal band any different than all the tail bands. Sides of head rust or reddish brown colored. Buffy/ivory chin and throat extending all the way to the gape/lower mandible - the dark head coloration therefore did not completely cover the head. The bird was circling away from my location and gained significant altitude while I watched, probably riding a thermal. Last seen at high elevation so!
aring t
oward Tiger and Rattlesnake Mountain area. Total viewing time two to three minutes.

Although I was certain it was a Swainson's based on the field observations, I also consulted Wheeler's Raptors of North America after returning home. (Raptors of Western North America, by Brian K. Wheeler, Princeton University Press, 2003.) The bird I saw was close to Plate 316, page 294 in Wheeler, though with much less belly and breast markings. Plate 297, page 289 shows the type of head, throat and chin markings on the bird I saw (except my bird was absent the upper breast markings shown in the plate) but my bird was browner overall (not as grayish as Plate 297), and as noted above, the bird I observed did not have the pronounced terminal or subterminal band shown in Plate 297.

Birds of Washington has this bird as rare in fall migration on the west side of the Cascades, slightly more common in spring migration.

John Tubbs
Snoqualmie, WA
johntubbs at comcast.net
www.tubbsphoto.com