Hello birders: I hate to make a posting like this because this is not a 100% identification, but I observed at 1:30PM a probable Swainson's Hawk circling high above ~Km 442 on the 401. We were driving eastward on the 401 and could not stop due to a tight timeline to attend a family gathering.
During our drive from London to Brighton, we were constantly seeing Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks -- the latter both soaring and perched, as usual along the highway. The bird in question immediately caught my attention with its long wings and dihedral. I then clearly saw the "reverse" underwing pattern of dark flight feathers setting off pale coverts. I can't in any good conscience count this bird given the drive-by circumstances, but I wanted to post this in case anyone was in the area. If I wasn't occupied this afternoon, I would go back to look for the bird. For what it's worth, I'm very familiar with Swainson's Hawks, having seen many of them them in Arizona, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Good birding and good luck if anyone is out around Newcastle. Cheers, Ian _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
