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Subject:

Red-shouldered Hawk in downtown Bethesda

From:

Rob Hilton

Reply-To:

Rob Hilton

Date:

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:54:07 -0800

Lisa Shannon called me around noon, saying she could
see a large-ish non-falcon hawk across the street from
her office window.  I went there with a pair of
binoculars to check out this unusual sighting, and we
identified the bird as an immature Red-shouldered
Hawk.  It was two or three hundred feet away from us,
perched on a bushy fifth floor (or so) balcony of a
building on Elm Street.  The bird stayed there for at
least an hour, perching in the bushes or on the
balcony edge.  When it was in the bushes it seemed to
be sort of feeding, but it didn't stay there very
long.  

Later on during the afternoon, I happened to look out
my office window, which is also in downtown Bethesda,
and I saw what I presume to be the same young
Red-shouldered Hawk flying off the top of a nearby
building, gaining altitude, and flying toward my
building.  It looked like it was trying to catch a
pigeon or a starling but had absolutely no success. 
It made a couple of passes toward my building before
disappearing; presumably it headed over the top of my
eleven story office building, or even landed on top of
it.  

Later still during the afternoon, Lisa saw it perched
on top of the building complex which holds the Barnes
and Noble and Austin Grill on Woodmont Avenue.  Even
later, round about sunset, she saw the hawk back in /
on the balcony location where we first saw it.  

This is the first buteo I have ever seen perched in
downtown Bethesda.  I rarely see Red-shouldered Hawks
over Bethesda, and when I do see them, they appear to
be migrating, never hunting.  It was quite a surprise
to see one perched at eye level not very far away!  

Rob Hilton
aimophila10
Silver Spring
yahoo.com
Maryland

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