>From about 5:30 to 6:15 in our front yard Friday evening, we monitored a cloudless blue sky as dozens of Broad-winged Hawks emerged in kettles from the northwest. Upon entering the airspace high above our neighborhood, many of them soared for a while before descending and settling in woods along the Skunk River corridor. Several individuals flew through our yard just below taller treetops as they searched for a roosting spot. We noted a few juveniles scattered amongst many adults during the 45-minute period.
Among other diurnal migrants that were flying in the favorable conditions, the most unexpected was a Red-shouldered Hawk that soared above us for a few minutes, allowing for nice in-flight comparisons with nearby Broad-winged Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks. This represented a first for our yard - and actually one of very few records for Story County overall. (If current trends continue in central Iowa, I expect more of them to be found in the county in upcoming years.) Take care, Shane Patterson Ames, Story Co. --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
