Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 13:16:27 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Kreiss, Elise (NCI)" Subject: Blackbird & Hawk Note MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain I was very surprised to see a red-winged blackbird sitting on top of my bird feeder in Baltimore City on Saturday. I also noticed on my way into work along the outer loop of the D.C. Beltway between 95 and New Hampshire that the red-winged blackbirds have returned to the little marshy spot with the cattails. Monday I had the pleasure of watching what appeared to a juvenile sharp-shined hawk for possibly 45 minutes from my window. I knew a hawk came through earlier in the day - sudden panic flapping of wings around the bird feeders, followed by silence. The squirrels were frozen on the trees; one had its forehead folded against the branch on which it crouched. Passing a window within the hour I saw the hawk on a branch above the bird feeders - it saw me too, and glided down to the ground out of sight. I followed it outside where it took off, and I saw the grayish brown white splotched back and the evenly curved tail with four black bars visible alternating with brown. If there was any white on the end, I couldn't see it. I became aware of a great deal of scolding, and followed one source to a bare forsythia bush which harbored a loud and agitated chickadee below my eye (and hand!) level, which did not flee at my close approach, but kept up the alarm. Later I again saw the hawk, this time perched only about 3.5 feet above the ground in a woody tree-like bush. We both stayed relatively still for a long period of time. The hawk kept rotating its head to look about it, but kept fairly still, preening some, and defecating once. No birds came to the feeder that I saw, but I was surprised to hear birds coming back to the yard and calling normally. Twice I saw a chickadee look down at the hawk from several feet (maybe 12) above it. I saw the hawk angle forward intently; some small birds took flight from the ground, and the hawk took off in the same direction. Questions from a beginner - parts I saw clearly; other parts not so well. Brilliant yellow eyes, fine brown lines across whitish forehead & cheaks, and brown streaks below white throat. The rest of the breast I saw only from the side - I expected streaks but it looked like bars - optical illusion? Also, the color on the back looked a little greyer above, a little browner below the shoulders. Is that likely? Thanks for any comments. Elise Kreiss Baltimore City ekreiss@aol.com (home) ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================