Swainson's wintering in the Willamette Valley are far more likely to survive
as there are a lot more insects around than in Eastern Oregon where it is
likely to freeze nightly. There is a documented record of an immature
Swainson's from Montana last December, for the only winter documented (in
Ebird) Swainson's west and north of St. Louis, not in California.
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S32839509 ;.
The Birds of North America article on the species states this about the
winter range in the US:
"Regular but uncommon in Florida, most often in southeastern mainland and
keys ( Robertson and Woolfenden 1992a
<https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/swahaw/references#REF57808>
, Stevenson and Anderson 1994b
<https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/swahaw/references#REF55525>
), and in Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta of n.-central California (
Herzog 1996
<https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/swahaw/references#REF20993>
). Museum specimens and band recoveries also indicate small numbers of
wintering birds (primarily immatures) in New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana,
Florida, and Cuba ( Browning 1974a
<https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/swahaw/references#REF49113>
, F. Rodriguez-Santana, pers. comm). Sight records of wintering immature
birds require careful evaluation because of potential confusion with other
species; Browning ( Browning 1974a
<https://birdsna.org/Species-Account/bna/species/swahaw/references#REF49113>
) estimated <18% of winter sightings were acceptable."
Tom Crabtree, Bend
From: obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of David Irons
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 3:52 PM
To: elepaio@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: OBOL
Subject: [obol] Re: Winter Swainson's Hawk
Cheryl Whelchel's bird near Tangent was well-documented, as was another that
Lyn Topinka found at Shillapoo Bottoms west of Vancouver, WA that same year.
Dave Irons
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 31, 2017, at 3:48 PM, Mark Nikas <elepaio@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Cheryl Wetzel (sp?) found an adult intermediate phase / morph / type
Swainson's Hawk near Tangent around Christmas 2008. It stayed in the area
for a couple of weeks. Cheryl took some very nice photos of this bird. I
have an identifiable one at the link below.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77323634@N00/2308740949/in/dateposted-public/
I saw another in Jan 2006 north of Eugene. That bird was around for most of
the winter and seen by many. I don't have photos of that bird but Birds Of
Lane County states definitive photos were obtained.
So, at least some winter records are valid.
Mark Nikas
Eugene
