Tweets-

I know many of you are raptor lovers, so I am forwarding this note for
your interest. I left Alaska a year ago and am now living in Mexico,
so I unfortunately I won't be seeing this bird. BTW, I also enjoyed
the Variegated flycatcher vicariously.

Georgia Conti
Patzcuaro, Mexico
http://patzcuarobirder.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Tessaglia-Hymes <cth4 at cornell.edu>
To: antep9 at aol.com; pncfritz at mtaonline.net; cmaack at gci.net;
betrichfrie at gci.net
Sent: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:46 pm
Subject: 2008 Barrow, AK Swainson's Hawk - 20080911 - 08:30 AKDT

Hey all, thought I'd pass word on again...

This morning, while walking around the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory
area North of Barrow, Alaska, my co-worker and I flushed an apparent
adult Swainson's Hawk from the telephone poles. It landed just behind
our sleeping quarters at the "NARL Hotel" (for researchers), allowing
for some half-way decent photos (well, better than the ones taken of
the
2006 fly-by bird which Chris Tremblay and I saw).

I had heard this bird was in the area earlier in the season, but
certainly didn't expect to see it. Could this bird be the same bird as
the one I saw in 2006? If this is an adult, could be. If this is
actually a 1st year bird well into adult plumage, probably not. I
haven't taken the time to research the molt timing, yet. We just saw
this bird at 8:30am today.

Here are my pics for now. My co-worker (Fred Channell) has some
probable
better shots plus an in-flight shot, showing the dark flight feathers.
I
can probably get those if needed. I also have three short video clips
of
the bird, which I can post if you want.

http://picasaweb.google.com/cth4th/2008BarrowSwainsonSHawk#

What are the chances!? 2006 and 2008. Cool!

Feel free to forward the sighting information to pertinent lists or
people.

Hope you all have already had a chance to get up there and see it.
Fairly cooperative bird, but mildly skittish. Doesn't flush too far
away
if spooked. Lots of Polar Bears coming ashore, so be wary. Oh, also saw
6 female Stellar's Eiders in a small lake behind and just North of the
NARL.

We're now in Anchorage and waiting for our flight to Chicago to start
boarding in another 45 minutes. Heading back home to Ithaca by tomorrow
afternoon.

Good luck and good birding!

Sincerely,
Chris T-H

--
=============================================
Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes
TARU Product Line Manager and Field Applications Engineer
Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850
Voice: 607-254-2418, FAX: 607-254-2460
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp mailto:cth4 at cornell.edu
=============================================