Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 19:23:24 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Brian Monk Subject: Re: FW: Unknown Seneca Rocks [WV] Bird Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed How about N Harrier? >From: "Wilkerson, Jordan T." >Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding >To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM >Subject: [MDOSPREY] FW: Unknown Seneca Rocks [WV] Bird >Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2000 17:35:43 -0400 > >MDOsprey, > >So this isn't MD, but it is still a valid ID question for more experienced >birders. > >Below, is my email to the WV bird alert from this past weekend. We are >stumped, so any ID suggestions will help. > >Jordan, >Cloverly, MD > >-----Original Message----- >From: Wilkerson, Jordan T. >Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 5:27 PM >To: 'zelig88@aol.com' >Subject: Unknown Seneca Rocks Bird > >Hello, > >I was rock climbing at Seneca Rocks on Friday evening. September 29th, >2000. >My wife and I returned over the foot bridge from the rocks and entered the >parking lot at dusk, so it was difficult to see much more than shape and >size. As we entered the parking lot a very large bird passed directly over >us about 50 feet off the ground. We raced for the car and grabbed the >bins, >but the bird was already flying away toward the river valley that parallels >Seneca Rocks. Since it was almost dark, the only solid points to discuss >are the size and shape. > >This was a large bird; on the order of a large raptor. My initial >knee-jerk >first impression, considering the size and how dark it seemed, was Raven. >However, my attention turned to the wing shape. The wings were very >pointed >like that of a Falcon, not an Accipiter, and the tail seemed long. The >bird >was in a general glide across the parking lot, so we never saw it flap. As >we reached the car and grabbed the binoculars to get a 3-second look at the >bird, we noticed some lighter facial marks and some not-so-dark mottling >on >the birds' side. The bird then disappeared and was not found again that >evening or the next morning. > >One distinctive image in my head was the length of the wings. Before it >passed over our head. It flew directly toward us. The primaries were very >long and straight. The secondaries had a very heavy curve to them; both >from a head-on view (cupping the wind) and from directly underneath >(similar >to the black vultures curved secondaries). This bird did not teeter at >all, >but also didn't seem to loose much altitude in the still air while it >glided >past without flapping. There was no sound as it passed overhead. > >After searching for the bird for about 15 minutes or so we heard an unusual >loud screeching call. Obviously loud enough to be a raptor, so we tracked >it down. From the bridge that runs between the new visitor center and the >old parking lot, we had an excellent view of an immature Great Horned Owl. >He was definitely the one making the horrific call (which we have recorded >on an mpg file with a digital camera if you're interested). However, when >this owl flew, he was noticeable smaller and did not have the pointed >wings. >Also, this was 15-20 minutes later and we could still make out decent color >variations in this owls plumage, but the original unidentified bird in >slightly better light was generally dark. > >So the question is obviously: "What the heck was that?!" > >This bird seemed larger than a Peregrine, and the markings on the face >(although difficult to make out in the poor light) did not give us the >impression of a Peregrine face. So, there aren't too many options. For >lack of a better one, what about a dark Gyrfalcon? Have there ever been >any >reports of such this far south (ever!)? There have been some recent storms >that pushed through, but were they enough? Have there been any other >reports of this bird around the area or further north as it makes its way >home? > >I shouldn't tell you that we looked up kites just to be sure... > >What else? More likely we were fooled by a bird with its wings in a >particular configuration that we are unfamiliar with. Have you ever seen a >Raven with pointed primaries as he glides? > >Any help will be appreciated. We can't identify them all, but experience >builds expertise. > >Thanks, >Jordan > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. 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