FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] Re: Crepuscular Accipiter activity in Bristol

[Robert Biller <merlin42@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This reminded me of another crepuscular sighting not too long ago.  I was 
turning left onto University Parkway (off of State of Franklin) when I first 
thought to be an owl was flying so low I thought it was going to land on my 
car.  I first saw it while I was in the turn lane on State of Franklin.  It 
seemed to barely clear my car and lowered a bit more as it flew right up 
University Parkway toward ETSU.  I hurried through the red light but lost the 
bird in the first big trees on ETSU's property.  I continued on to my friends 
place (who lives right next to campus - behind the BP Station).  He had called 
me to let me know that he would be there momentarily so I walked up to wait on 
the porch of the house.  Less than 2 minutes later he was parking in front of 
his place and getting out of his car.  At the moment he was getting out of his 
car, the same big bird plopped down in the grass immediately across the small 
alley road he was parked on.  I 'm talking within 12 feet from my surprised 
friend, sat a large Red-tailed Hawk (not owl) that was hunting on the early 
crepuscular evening.  My friend, without flinching, looked at the hawk and 
said, "I know you. Your the one who has been eating my other birds and 
squirrels in the back yard."  After he said it, he turned from the bird and 
back toward where I was watching dumbstruck and walked away from one confused 
bird.

I like crepuscular.  It is now today's word of the day.
--
Rob Biller
Elizabethton, TN

---- Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> Last evening just after sunset when the lights of city streets make it appear 
> nearly dark,  I observed a large bird flashing under the street lights along 
> Sixth Street near State Street in downtown Bristol Tennessee.  It flew to the 
> top of the Central Building on Sixth St. There it perched for several minutes 
> on the edge of the roof before bounding into darkness and flying over the 
> tops of buildings.  It was not at all concerned by people walking a couple of 
> stories below it on the sidewalk.  Nor did it pay any particular attention to 
> noisy traffic.  Finding Accipiters out hunting at day break and nightfall is 
> common.  
> 
> It was a Cooper's Hawk.  I pulled into a nearby parking lot and got my 
> binoculars on it with a decent study for sevral minutes under the glow of the 
> lights. 
> 
> Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active 
> during the twilight.  While Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks are out and 
> about at all daylight hours,  they are fond of low light hunting conditions 
> and savor the fading light to their advantage.
> 
> I didn't decided to post this until this morning when an apparent immature 
> Cooper's Hawk dashed across the hood of my car on Weaver Pike near the Stone 
> Castle football stadium.  It cleared the hood and my window
> by maybe two feet or so.  It came from the back left of my car, appearing to 
> pass my driver side window and
> cut across the front of the vehicle.  As it flew beyond the right front panel 
> of my vehicle it dropped low along
> a bank attempting a strike in a shrub of a yard.  Since it was flying in the 
> same direction I was traveling,
> I finally got a good look at it and could see the field marks as it stooped 
> forward towards the shrub.
> 
> Urban raptors fascinate me.  Especially when they are hunting and dashing in 
> traffic and unexpected locations and unexpected time.  I will never forget 
> one night about 9 p.m. when I saw a Red-tailed Hawk trucking through
> the Belmont Bowling Alley parking lot on Weaver Pike and flying just above 
> the light poles.  Always wondered
> what had that bird moving.  Where was it going ?  Where had it been ?
> 
> Let's go birding.......
> 
> Wallace Coffey
> Bristol, TN
*************************************************
       BRISTOL BIRDS NET LIST
Bristol Birds Net Photo Gallery located at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/jwcoffeyy/album?.dir=/efd5

Be sure and visit the Bristol Bird Club website at:
http://bristolbirdclub.org

This is a regional birding list sponsored by the
Bristol Bird Club to facilitate communications
between birders and bird clubs of Southwest Virginia
and Northeast Tennessee.
--------------------------------------------------
You are subscribed to Bristol-Birds.
To post to this mailing list, simply send an email
to: bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send
an email to bristol-birds-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with
the one word 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
--------------------------------------------------
       Wallace Coffey, Moderator
         wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
           (423)764-****