It doesn't get much better than this on a cold, gray day...a light morph
Rough-legged Hawk flew across the road in front of me, at treetop level, while
I
was driving slowly along Parkgate Drive at 10:15 a.m. Even though I've only
seen a few of them before, I knew right away it was a RLHA by the dark belly
and
black carpal (wrist) patches on the underwings. This was no Red-tailed or
Red-shouldered! It was either a female or imm. (long white tail with a dark
band).
The bird landed atop a cedar out in the field just east of 11904 Parkgate, on
the north side. Stuart (I, too, didn't get the last name) arrived in time to
see the bird perched atop a cedar out in the field, although the look wasn't
all that good due to poor light. By the time Sue Heath arrived, Stuart and I
had just seen the bird way out across the field, hovering the way Kestrels do.
We lost sight of it, as it flew behind the treeline.
Just up the road, the Horned Lark field held the *usual* suspects from
yesterday, including two Snow Buntings together.
Gorgeous birds on a dreary day!
Laura Catterton
Manassas, Virginia
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