Dark-rufous morph red-tailed hawk

BlkVulture@aol.com
Tue, 26 Jan 1999 15:28:46 EST


Hello all,

At 11:45 am on Tuesday my wife drove by the site that held the dark-rufous
morphed red-tail a couple weeks ago.  The bird was seen again, in virtually
the same spot.  I arrived about 10 minutes later, the bird was no where to be
found.

About 1:30pm, I returned to the area, and the bird was seen again, perched
atop the same phone pole that I was on 2 weeks ago.  I watched it for about 30
minutes. 

This time the conditions were a little bit better, and my strategy to view
this bird was also improved.  I was able to view the bird from slightly above
the bird from a road the runs along the opposite side of the road that the
bird was on.  This allowed me to get a little closer as well.  

The details are similar to my original report.  The difference being that I
never saw the bird in flight this time, and I had a good look at the feet and
the and the area below the belly.  The breast of the bird is still rufous, and
the belly is dark chocolate brown.  Below the belly is brown, not nearly as
dark as the belly, and not rufous at all. There is also some white in this
area, but I cant say if it is barring or less evenly distributed.  The legs
are yellowish green.  

The eye still looks whitish or yellow.  The bill and cere still appear powder
blue.  I only saw the bird belly on.  

Directions to the phone pole this bird was sitting on:
which is just before the correct exit coming from the east.  The off-ramp from
66 west will cross back over 66, and then continue straight, south.  The off
ramp from 66 east will join the off-ramp from 66 west.  On the other side of
234, there is the on-ramp to 66 east.  There is also a power line cut that
precedes this on-ramp.  Viewing from 234 south, there is a green, treated
wood, phone pole that sits just about where the powerline cut and the on-ramp
meet.  The bird has been seen twice atop this pole.  Viewed from 234 north,
this pole is just behind a gold 40mph exit-ramp speed limit sign.  Be warned,
if you travel north on 234, north of Balls Ford Road, there is no way to
reverse direction and you will find yourself back on 66.

If the bird is not there, it has also been seen twice in the trees, both the
pine and deciduous, that border 234 on the east.  

This road is heavily traveled, and has lots of trucks.  The best viewing spot
so far has been from a parallel road to the west of 234.  To access this road,
continue past the area that has the bird to the stop light.  This is Balls
Ford Road.  Go right.  Just before the train tracks, turn right.  This is
Randolph something road.  It brings you back to 234, about 20 or so feet above
it, and there is no traffic on this public road.  It is from here that it is
easiest to look for this bird.  

This bird seems a little skittish, and getting out of a car can spook it.  I
have no idea how large an area this guy is hanging out in, but as I said, this
is the second time in two weeks that it has been atop the same phone pole.  

If these directions are confusing, I apologize.  Contact me and I will try to
clear them up.

Cheers,

Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
BlkVulture@aol.com