[bcbirdclub] Swainson's Hawk at Breaks

From: "Roger Mayhorn" <rmayhorn@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "BCBC Listserve" <bcbirdclub@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 23:53:51 -0400
Thirteen birders were present at David and Susan Raines' home today for their 
hosting of the annual Sparrow Day. The day began with cold and a heavy frost. 
The temperature soon warmed up and the birds were active. Forty species were 
counted with 7 species of sparrows found. The sparrow numbers were down a bit 
this year. David believes that the main push southward of migrating sparrows 
hasn't happened yet.The complete list is at the end of this message.



The bird of the day came just before the group decided to call it a day. A 
raptor appeared over the field in front of the Raines' house. It was at first 
thought to be a Red-tailed Hawk, but as it circled a couple of times overhead 
the birders noticed black underneath pointed wings. They knew they had 
something different. The bird eventually perched in a large Oak tree nearly a 
quarter of a mile away on the facing mountain side. With good views through 
binoculars and Tom Hunter's scope it was decided that the bird was a Swainson's 
Hawk, a bird usually found in the Western U.S. According to Virginia's Gold 
Book this is the first recorded sighting of this species in Southwest VA.  



Mike Sanders, Don Carrier and Roger Mayhorn took photos. Mike got some shots 
through the scope in spite of the fading light. Here is one of his shots.



Notice the dark head, the white throat, the chocolate colored bib and the lack 
of a belly band that a Red-tail would have.



Roger Mayhorn

Compton Mt



   







40 species

Black Vulture 9

Turkey Vulture 124

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Swainson's Hawk 1

Red-tailed Hawk 2

Mourning Dove 3

Belted Kingfisher 1f

Red-bellied Woodpecker 2

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1m

Downy Woodpecker 1

Northern Flicker 2

Pileated Woodpecker 2

Eastern Phoebe 2

Blue Jay 5

American Crow 6

Carolina Chickadee 4

Tufted Titmouse 3

White-breasted Nuthatch 3

Carolina Wren 2

House Wren 1

Winter Wren 2

Golden-crowned Kinglet 5

Eastern Bluebird 3

American Robin 8

Northern Mockingbird 2

Brown Thrasher 1

European Starling 25

Cedar Waxwing 29

Yellow-rumped Warbler 27

Chipping Sparrow 13

Field Sparrow 2

Swamp Sparrow 2

White-crowned Sparrow 2 (1juv)

White-throated Sparrow 4

Dark-eyed Junco 1

Eastern Towhee 3 (1f)

Northern Cardinal 4

House Finch 3

American Goldfinch 3
[bcbirdclub] Swainson's Hawk at Breaks

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