In light of the ongoing discussion, a report from Virginia -- Barry and I
had a Sharpie near the Manassas Battlefield Park today -- definitely a
sharpie on size, tail length and shape, head size and projection in front of
the "shoulders" (small head w/ not much projection) and wing angle in
flight. It was an adult.

We speculate it may have been post-breeding dispersal from more westerly
areas (e.g. Blue Ridge) but who knows -- maybe they are also expanding a bit
-- as Cooper's did in last decade.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD

on 07/06/2004 9:41 AM, Marko, Thomas L. GS BUMED at 
wrote:

> Oh my - I've been Ringler'd!  But that's a good thing since Bob keeps us on
> our toes and makes us think twice before we post, which results in more
> observant, better refined birders.
>
> Am I 100% sure it was a Sharpie?  Negative.  The bird was facing away at
> 75-100 feet distance and viewed at an oblique angle.  However, what I
> observed points to a Sharpie.  It was definitely a bird in juvenile plumage,
> it was small (about 12" in length) and slight, and the tail squared-off.  It
> just didn't seem to have the heftier jizz of a Cooper's Hawk.  My last
> observation (overhead) of a Sharpie along the BMNT was on 17 Apr of this
> year.
>
> Tom Marko
> Olney, MD
> Montgomery Bird Club (MOS)
> Email: 
>