MD Osprey:

I don't think either of the birds mentioned match the following, but 
since we are discussing unidentified birds that are similar to crows 
I thought I'd throw this out as food for thought and future reference ...

One of the species on our MD "next species list" is often compared in 
flight to a slightly smaller crow, and it often appears very dark at 
a distance ... and there was one a number years ago just over the 
river in Lucketts, VA on the Sugarloaf Christmas Count.

What is is ... ?

... Lewis's Woodpecker!

Phil


At 15:02 03/05/2007, Cliff Comeau wrote:
>Another strange bird:
>
>March 3, about 11am, this bird flew into a small patch of woods by 
>the Ammendale Road construction area (PG County) across from the 
>Seventh-Day Adventist church in Beltsville. It was about the size of 
>a crow and flew steadily much like a crow, but with shallower wing 
>beats than the typical crow. The back was tan, about the color of 
>some pigeons, with a white tail and some white on the wing tips. 
>Wings were rounded and rather short. Tail was long and narrow. 
>Underparts were whitish, or at least light colored. I had it in view 
>for only a few seconds before it disappeared into the trees. From my 
>rear-quarter view I did not see the head very well.
>
>The overall size and shape were similar to Coopers Hawk, but there 
>was no flap-flap-flap sail, and the color was wrong. Leucistic 
>Coopers? No idea.
>
>
>
>MICHAEL SPEICHER wrote:
>>Seen yesterday, 3/4/07 @1430 in FRED CO at Bennies
>>Hill Rd's intersection with the Catoctin Creek
>>bottomlands fields - the fields nearest to MD 17 just
>>after crossing the creek east/southbound.  My bird
>>looked nothing like the photo of the recently sighted
>>Pied Crow that was seen/photographed in AA county. You tell me what 
>>it is/was, please...!!!:
>>
>>Underside was dark/black.  Upper was a uniform light
>>brown or buff color from the back thru the tail tip. I first 
>>noticed it when it was in flight being
>>harassed by a crow.  It flew to a perch in a tree at
>>the east side of the field where the other crow
>>stopped its attack.  It perched there for several
>>minutes (five or more) undisturbed until a crow
>>perched nearby harassed it again.  It flew to another
>>tree where other crows were present and apparently
>>unconcerned.  When the entire flock took wing, this
>>bird flew with the flock.  Size was similar, if not
>>identical to a crow.  It was never closer to me than
>>1/4 mile (a guess), so i never got a definitive look
>>at it thru my 8x bins.  No pics either, obviously.  I
>>imagine this crow flock ranges pretty widely over the
>>area around Middletown; after they exited, i failed to
>>encounter them again as i drove north for several
>>miles.
>
>==================================
>Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
>                 mailto:[log in to unmask]
>==================================