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cation <BR>&gt=3B special
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The weather was not conducive to photography on Brier Island this weekend. =
At least not for my camera as it would not have picked up the falcon other=
than as very dark. The bird in question that we saw was very chunky as co=
mpared to a peregrine. I'm confident of my id and Dorothy Poole called it =
as well. I'm sticking by my call regardless of what you or others might be=
lieve. The peregrines on the island were easily distinguished from the bir=
d which we gave the id of gyrfalcon.
=20
Sincerely=2C
=20
James R. Hirtle
East LaHave> Date: Tue=2C 30 Sep 2008 09:57:44 -0300> To: naturens@chebucto=
.ns.ca> From: maybank@ns.sympatico.ca> Subject: [NatureNS] Re: Gyrfalcon re=
cords in Nova Scotia> > At 09:33 PM 29/09/2008=2C Eric Mills wrote:> >I hav=
e some serious doubts about your Gyrfalcon. > >Peregrines can vary a lot in=
size and colour=2C > >and they have a longer tail relative to body > >than=
do Gyrfalcons. Gyrs actually have very > >broad wings and short tails rela=
tive to body=2C > >giving them at times a Goshawk-like look. The > >long ta=
il that you mention almost certainly > >precludes Gyr. I might mention that=
there was a > >very large dark Peregrine that hung around the > >Western L=
ight all last fall and that I almost called a Gyr myself. The> >same bird? =
Who knows.> > There have been several Gyrfalcons reported in > Nova Scotia =
in the past two weeks. I recall > reports from Cape Sable Island=2C HRM=2C =
and Brier > Island. All were of dark-plumaged > individuals. And=2C indeed=
=2C several such birds > are reported each autumn. And I once reported > an=
early October Gyrfalcon from Seal Island=2C > another dark bird. But a rec=
ent event at a > Texas hawkwatch has caused me to revisit my own > sighting=
=2C and to have me encourage anyone else > who sees a possible Gyrfalcan in=
autumn to THOROUGHLY document the sighting.> > An account of the encounter=
is posted here:> > http://www.ccbirding.com/thw/2008/gyr.html> > Go to the=
bottom of the page=2C and read up. The > first (ie oldest) posting is at t=
he bottom. The > photos of the bird are at the top of the > page. Keep in m=
ind that 25+ hawkwatchers=2C some > very experienced=2C thought the bird wa=
s a > dark-phase Gyrfalcon. But when the photos could > be viewed afterward=
s by hawk identification > specialists=2C all concluded that the bird was a=
dark large Peregrine Falcon.> > The ID of this bird is still being debated=
=2C but > the point to me is clear. In Nova Scotia we > cannot be blas=E9 r=
egarding the reporting of > dark-phase Gyrfalcons at any time of year=2C an=
d we > should try to photograph them if possible=2C and > provide written d=
ocumentation. Without such > documentation=2C and given the difficulty of >=
accurately separating dark-phase Gyrfalcons from > large dark-phase Peregr=
ine Falcons=2C any > undocumented reports are of little or no value to the =
ornithological record.> > With respect=2C> > > ----------------------------=
-------------------------------------------------> Blake Maybank> maybank@n=
s.sympatico.ca> > Editor=2C "Nova Scotia Birds"> > author=2C "Birding Sites=
of Nova Scotia"> http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm> > White's Lake=2C Nov=
a Scotia=2C Canada >=20
_________________________________________________________________
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The weather was not conducive to photography on Brier Island this weekend.&=
nbsp=3B At least not for my camera as it would not have picked up the falco=
n other than as very dark. =3B The bird in question that we saw was ver=
y chunky as compared to a peregrine. =3B I'm confident of my id and Dor=
othy Poole called it as well. =3B I'm sticking by my call regardless of=
what you or others might believe. =3B The peregrines on the island wer=
e easily distinguished =3Bfrom the bird which we gave the id of gyrfalc=
on.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
Sincerely=2C<BR>
 =3B<BR>
James R. Hirtle<BR>
East LaHave<BR><BR>>=3B Date: Tue=2C 30 Sep 2008 09:57:44 -0300<BR>>=3B=
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR>>=3B From: maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<BR>>=
=3B Subject: [NatureNS] Re: Gyrfalcon records in Nova Scotia<BR>>=3B <BR>=
>=3B At 09:33 PM 29/09/2008=2C Eric Mills wrote:<BR>>=3B >=3BI have s=
ome serious doubts about your Gyrfalcon. <BR>>=3B >=3BPeregrines can va=
ry a lot in size and colour=2C <BR>>=3B >=3Band they have a longer tail=
relative to body <BR>>=3B >=3Bthan do Gyrfalcons. Gyrs actually have v=
ery <BR>>=3B >=3Bbroad wings and short tails relative to body=2C <BR>&g=
t=3B >=3Bgiving them at times a Goshawk-like look. The <BR>>=3B >=3Bl=
ong tail that you mention almost certainly <BR>>=3B >=3Bprecludes Gyr. =
I might mention that there was a <BR>>=3B >=3Bvery large dark Peregrine=
that hung around the <BR>>=3B >=3BWestern Light all last fall and that=
I almost called a Gyr myself. The<BR>>=3B >=3Bsame bird? Who knows.<BR=
>>=3B <BR>>=3B There have been several Gyrfalcons reported in <BR>>=
=3B Nova Scotia in the past two weeks. I recall <BR>>=3B reports from Cap=
e Sable Island=2C HRM=2C and Brier <BR>>=3B Island. All were of dark-plum=
aged <BR>>=3B individuals. And=2C indeed=2C several such birds <BR>>=3B=
are reported each autumn. And I once reported <BR>>=3B an early October =
Gyrfalcon from Seal Island=2C <BR>>=3B another dark bird. But a recent ev=
ent at a <BR>>=3B Texas hawkwatch has caused me to revisit my own <BR>>=
=3B sighting=2C and to have me encourage anyone else <BR>>=3B who sees a =
possible Gyrfalcan in autumn to THOROUGHLY document the sighting.<BR>>=3B=
<BR>>=3B An account of the encounter is posted here:<BR>>=3B <BR>>=
=3B http://www.ccbirding.com/thw/2008/gyr.html<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B Go to t=
he bottom of the page=2C and read up. The <BR>>=3B first (ie oldest) post=
ing is at the bottom. The <BR>>=3B photos of the bird are at the top of t=
he <BR>>=3B page. Keep in mind that 25+ hawkwatchers=2C some <BR>>=3B v=
ery experienced=2C thought the bird was a <BR>>=3B dark-phase Gyrfalcon. =
But when the photos could <BR>>=3B be viewed afterwards by hawk identific=
ation <BR>>=3B specialists=2C all concluded that the bird was a dark larg=
e Peregrine Falcon.<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B The ID of this bird is still being=
debated=2C but <BR>>=3B the point to me is clear. In Nova Scotia we <BR>=
>=3B cannot be blas=E9 regarding the reporting of <BR>>=3B dark-phase G=
yrfalcons at any time of year=2C and we <BR>>=3B should try to photograph=
them if possible=2C and <BR>>=3B provide written documentation. Without =
such <BR>>=3B documentation=2C and given the difficulty of <BR>>=3B acc=
urately separating dark-phase Gyrfalcons from <BR>>=3B large dark-phase P=
eregrine Falcons=2C any <BR>>=3B undocumented reports are of little or no=
value to the ornithological record.<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B With respect=2C<B=
R>>=3B <BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B --------------------------------------------=
---------------------------------<BR>>=3B Blake Maybank<BR>>=3B maybank=
@ns.sympatico.ca<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B Editor=2C "Nova Scotia Birds"<BR>>=
=3B <BR>>=3B author=2C "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"<BR>>=3B http://ma=
ybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm<BR>>=3B <BR>>=3B White's Lake=2C Nova Scotia=
=2C Canada <BR>>=3B <BR><BR><br /><hr /> <a href=3D'' target=3D'_new'></a=
></body>
</html>=
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