After two unsuccessful all day searches for the gyrfalcon I finally got lucky yesterday and found it in a deciduous tree near 127th and Old Monroe Snohomish Road. I was able to get a few images at fairly close range before it flew out across the valley and out of sight. It is a gorgeous bird and in my mind a bit on the small side which makes me think it might be a male (but what do I know?). Pictures are on my website: www.rlkimages.photoshelter.com? in the "recent images" gallery. Also in that gallery are images of a female Cooper's hawk which captured and consumed a wood duck drake near my bird feeder a few days ago. I was able to shoot the photos through an open window in my house. She was a large bird as you can see compared to the wood duck. I have had 3 or 4 wood ducks taken since the first of the year and now they are very leery about coming to my feeder - and I don't blame them.
Cheers,
Bob Kothenbeutel
Woodinville, WA
viper.bob at frontier.com