Subject: [Tweeters] after sighting a banded/tagged bird, then what?
Date: Mar 21 17:34:55 2017
From: Barbara Deihl - barbdeihl at comcast.net


So, you spot a leg band or wing tag or some other label on a bird you're looking at, with or without your optical glass, and you are able to make out numbers or capital letters (or both) - what can you do to find out more about the bird or the particular research or study the bird is a part of? If you are interested in sharing your information for your own edification or to contribute to data being gathered so all of us can learn more, it would be very helpful if you would consider taking the time and effort to report your find.
You can start by going to the website of the Bird Banding Lab (national) and following the prompts for reporting. Or you can try to contact someone locally who is known to be involved in bird banding/bird studies. The Washington Ornithological Society (WOS) has info on some research. The next WOS program (April 3) will feature a raptor bander, Ed Deal, who specializes in Cooper's Hawk and Peregrine Falcon studies. I'm sure he will have more specific suggestions about reporting those raptors and perhaps other birds. Come to the open, public meeting and ask questions!
Now, about my friend, Sean's report of a Rough-legged Hawk in the Samish Flats, with 2 wing tags: others reported to me having seen likely the same hawk within the last few weeks. Yesterday, a photo of the bird appeared in my inbox, showing that the white tags had, not an "SH" on them, but instead "5(five)H. One letter and one number on each tag. I have posted about this on Tweeters, hoping to elicit a response from someone who knows something more about this Roughleg and the project it is a part of. Sean would like to know more as well. I suggest that either Sean or Barb G or David G (the one who sent me the photo) report your sightings of this hawk to the Bird Banding Lab - personnel there will give you the age, sex and other info about the bird and the study it's a part of. Please let us know if you find out any more about this light Rough-legged Hawk.
Thank you, Tweets.

Barb Deihl
Matthews Beach Neighborhood - NE Seattle
barbdeihl at comcast.net