[Tweeters] Wylie: Swainson's Hawk, Short Eared Owl

[Becky Galloway via Tweeters]

Hi,

We drove Fir Island Rd yesterday, enjoying the sun and a variety of bird
life.  In the fields between Fir Is Rd and Hayman Reserve (the first
Fish/Wildlife turnout to the south when going west on Fir Is Rd), I think
we found a Swainson's Hawk.  At first I couldn't figure out what it was:
dark head and wing tips and light everywhere else.  Not a red tail because
of lack of dark patagial bands on the front of the wings.  Then I
remembered the Swainson's I'd seen in years past and thought, that's it!

We also had great looks at a sharp shinned hawk from the path around the
waterway. "Crippling views" as some have called it.  Got really good scope
looks at that enormous eye, the steep forehead and the heavy barring on the
chest.  Was fun to see the shovelers and pied bill grebes too, and there
were tons of green winged teal.

At Wylie Slough, we had a short eared owl for the first time; really great
looks.  The dunlin put on a great show across the water, flashing their
white bellies.  Not much else even with high tide; the ducks were
elsewhere.

We start counting raptors as soon as we get on the highway near Shoreline,
and for the first time red tails came within a whisker of the eagle
numbers:  24-26.  Usually eagles are far and away the most numerous, but we
didn't go north of Fir Island this time which gave the hawks a chance.

-- 
Becky Galloway
Shoreline, WA
beckyg dot sea at gmail
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