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Index of Subjects --001a1141ba3a61470a0548551622 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Sounds like a male Harrier could also be possible, some males can be very light underneath. They are slender, and can confuse even the best birders when seen out of their expected habitat. I remember a Christmas Count many years ago, three of us were looking at the same bird late in the afternoon. The bird was very high and flying toward us, we called out every ID, as you have done, and it was not until it was very close that we could see that it was a female Harrier! See Sibley's bird book, there is a special note talking about just this issue, Harriers confusing birders because of where they are and how they are flying. Cheers, George Forsyth On 11 February 2017 at 23:31, plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca < plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: > Today while driving uphill on Prince Street in downtown Halifax, my attention > was caught by the sight of a powerful bird flying away from Citadel Hill > towards the Harbour. Before the light turned green and I had to turn left, > I had a chance to observe that the underside of the bird was > almost entirely white. It had dark elbow patches, but just a faint > appearance of grey barring in the rest of the wing linings. There were no > bands visible in the narrowly-held tail. I didn't see the upperside well, > but had an impression of darker shoulders. I didn't notice any facial > markings. > > My first thought was that it wasn't right for a Peregrine Falcon - we > have had them on the high-rises in other winters, so one looks for them. > But the overall impression was like a falcon, not an accipiter or a > buteo. > > I turned up Citadel Hill and pulled over at the top, hoping to relocate > the bird from that vantage point, without success. I also promptly checked > the one field guide I carry with me in the car, and couldn't identify the > bird to my satisfaction. I've seen all the hawks we usually see in Nova > Scotia, and I felt it wasn't something I had ever seen before. > > I have been looking through my books and various websites since getting > home, and think it may have been a white-phase Gyrfalcon. What bothers me, > though, is that I gather I should have been impressed by the size, and I > wasn't, particularly. > > Could it have been something else - an albinistic Peregrine, say? Has > anyone else seen anything like it? > > Patricia L. Chalmers > Halifax > --001a1141ba3a61470a0548551622 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Sounds like a male Harrier could also be possible, so= me males can be very light underneath. They are slender, and can confuse ev= en the best birders when seen out of their expected habitat. I remember a C= hristmas Count many years ago, three of us were looking at the same bird la= te in the afternoon. The bird was very high and flying toward us, we called= out every ID, as you have done, and it was not until it was very close tha= t we could see that it was a female Harrier!=C2=A0 See Sibley's bird bo= ok, there is a special note talking about just this issue, Harriers confusi= ng birders because of where they are and how they are flying.<br><br></div>= Cheers, George Forsyth<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class= =3D"gmail_quote">On 11 February 2017 at 23:31, <a href=3D"mailto:plchalmers= @ns.sympatico.ca">plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca</a> <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a h= ref=3D"mailto:plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca" target=3D"_blank">plchalmers@ns.s= ympatico.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" styl= e=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u> =20 =20 <div> =20 <div> Today while driving uphill on=C2=A0Prince Street in=C2=A0downtown=C2=A0H= alifax,=C2=A0my=C2=A0<wbr>attention was caught by the=C2=A0sight of a power= ful bird flying away from Citadel Hill towards the Harbour.=C2=A0 Before th= e light turned green and I had to turn left, I had a chance to observe that= the underside of the bird was almost=C2=A0entirely white.=C2=A0 It had dar= k elbow patches, but=C2=A0 just a faint appearance of grey barring in the= =C2=A0rest of the=C2=A0wing linings.=C2=A0 There were no bands visible in t= he narrowly-held tail. I didn't see the upperside well, but had an impr= ession of darker shoulders.=C2=A0 I didn't notice any facial markings. </div>=20 <div> =C2=A0 </div>=20 <div> My first thought was that it wasn't right=C2=A0 for a=C2=A0Peregrine= Falcon -=C2=A0we have had them=C2=A0on the high-rises in other winters, so= one looks for them.=C2=A0 But the overall impression was=C2=A0like a falco= n, not an accipiter or a buteo.=C2=A0=C2=A0 </div>=20 <div> =C2=A0 </div>=20 <div> I turned up Citadel Hill and pulled over at the top, hoping to relocate = the bird from that vantage point, without success.=C2=A0 I also promptly ch= ecked the one field guide I carry with me in the car, and couldn't iden= tify the bird to=C2=A0my satisfaction.=C2=A0 I've seen all the=C2=A0haw= ks we usually see in Nova Scotia, and=C2=A0I=C2=A0felt it wasn't someth= ing I had ever seen before. </div>=20 <div> =C2=A0 </div>=20 <div> I have been looking through my books and various websites since=C2=A0get= ting home, and think it may have been a white-phase Gyrfalcon.=C2=A0 What b= others me, though, is that I gather I should have been impressed by the siz= e, and I wasn't, particularly. </div>=20 <div> =C2=A0 </div>=20 <div> Could it have been something else - an albinistic Peregrine, say?=C2=A0 = Has anyone else seen anything like it? </div>=20 <div> =C2=A0 </div>=20 <div> Patricia L. Chalmers </div>=20 <div> Halifax </div> =20 </div> </blockquote></div><br></div> --001a1141ba3a61470a0548551622--
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