Subject: [Tweeters] High altitude hawks
Date: Sep 15 20:13:04 2009
From: Brenda Burnett - beaknbird at hotmail.com




Last week we did some hiking in Banff Nat'l Park that took us up to around 7,000 feet, above treeline. There, at a small lake, was a tiny hawk--looked like a sharp-shinned. It sat on a rock by the water for a while, and then flew to a rock in the meadow where it kept watching the ground and occasionally pouncing.

On another hike from Moraine Lake (also Banff), we saw 2 such hawks doing a leisurely do-si-do around some trees with 3-4 gray jays. It seemed kind of odd. One of the hawks was calling continuously.

Today I was up at Crystal Lakes near Mt. Rainier, and there was another one! I've never noticed this in the mountains before. I'm sure it's nothing new, just my obliviousness. Has anyone else encountered sharp-shinned hawks in the mountains regularly?

Today we also saw several American Pipits at the upper lake, numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Wilson's Warbler at the lower lake, and Dark-eyed Juncos and Chestnut-backed Chickadees just about everywhere. (Oh, and the huckleberries...!)

Brenda Burnett

Seattle

beaknbird at hotmail dot com



_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/