[MDOsprey] Bethesda Hawks

Rob (robert@csa.com)
Mon, 15 Nov 1999 10:01:35 -0500


Hi, 

pigeon and starling activity.....after one or two minutes of scanning I
eventually located the culprits: 

At around 8:30/8:45 I studied an immature Cooper's Hawk at length: it was
definitely smaller than the other two Cooper's I have seen this fall.  It
was trying to capture birds, whether starlings or pigeons I don't know, as
I locked on to the bird with my binoculars once I finally located it.   

At about 9:20 am or so I discovered the cause of that particular agitation:
a Merlin was flying quickly to the west.  

Just now my gaze was attracted to the window by another agitation: I soon
located a buteo far aloft and somewhat to the north.  I believe it was a
juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk.  Some finches flew in between it and me, and
after I finished watching them fly out of view I could not find the hawk.
Don't worry, Phil, I believe they were not Pine Siskins....I think they
were either House or Purple Finches

Rob Hilton
robert@csa.com
Bethesda, Md