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Re: "Canadian" Red-tailed Hawk, Laughing Gulls, and more

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Amanda Spears

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Wed, 4 Mar 2009 20:21:16 -0500

Forgot to mention?on yesterday's post that there were at least a dozen Wood Ducks in Kingston Creek, seen from the bridge, and?also down the road from the hawk.

Amanda Spears


-----Original Message-----
From: Amanda Spears <>
To: 
Sent: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 6:04 pm
Subject: [MDOSPREY] "Canadian" Red-tailed Hawk, Laughing Gulls, and more



Weeks ago, I read Bill Hubick's report of information on "Canadian" Red-tailed 
Hawks in the area.? I looked at his picture and read the description, 
remembering to look out in the upcoming months, or years.? Today, however, that 
info came into use when a heavily marked Red-tail flew over the car and sat in a 
close tree.? When in flight , Bill Harris and I noticed this bird had a 
completely black belly band, and when perched, showed it's blackish head and 
back.? It even showed the characteristic black chin,?and immediately I knew we 
were looking at the Canadian sub-species.? We regret not having?the?camera 
because it sat for?maybe 2-3 minutes before flying deep into the woods.? We 
tried relocating the bird for the next half-hour, without success.??It was 
seen?around?4pm?in Easton, on Kingston Rd.,?south of the bridge.?

So we continued on,?counting 5 American Pipits sitting on the 3 surrounding 
manure piles, right past the Red-tail spot. The near Nature Conservancy?held?5 
non breeding Laughing Gulls, flying southwest towards Easton, maybe?heading 
for?the dump.? Down the lane?of Kingston Landing,? over 2 dozen Eastern 
Meadowlarks were feeding along the road.? At the ramp along the creek, a 
Northern Harrier put on a show not but 2 meters from the car, where she tried 
and failed to catch a song sparrow.? The creek held the regulars, a few Common 
Mergansers,?but in a flock of 20 or so Canada Geese held?1 Snow Goose with a 
badly broken, dislocated, and twisted left wing.

We returned back to the Harris' feeders, where 27 species and counting has been 
recorded today.? 19 Purple Finches were seen, down from yesterday's 40.? Only 1 
Pine Siskin in?the flock of 150 American Goldfinches.? The usual Fox Sparrow 
decided to feed on the door steps, within a foot of the window, along with a 
Chipping Sparrow.? A few feeder records were broken, including a high of ?4 
Red-bellied Woodpeckers,? 4 Downy Woodpeckers, and 3 Hermit Thrushes.? At one 
point, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina W
ren, Brown 
Creeper, and Hermit Thrush were all fighting over the same suet!


Amanda Spears
Easton, MD