> I have not been out much looking for birds the past few days, but they seem > to have found me. > > Last Friday as I was walking from my car into work a large accipiter flew > directly over me from behind. I only had a short glimpse, but close. The > size (a bit larger than a crow) and long rounded tail told me it was probably > a Cooper's Hawk. Pretty good sighting for near downtown Rochester. It would > have been nice to have a longer look. > > Then Sunday an adult female Sharp-shinned Hawk stopped on the snag outside > our picture window. She (assumed from size mostly) did not stay long, but my > wife got a look and I got a so-so picture. > > Then today on my way to work I took a short detour on the gravel road NE of > Salem Corners, to feed the Horned Larks. There were quite a few of them, in > small groups. A Kestrel was on the wire near where I had been feeding, > perhaps going after mice that come to the corn. > Just after dumping the last of the cracked corn a Rough-Legged Hawk flew > past right in front of the car. No binoculars needed! > About a half mile east from there, a Northern Shrike was perched on top of > a tree next to the road. > > Well, I thought that was a pretty good morning. It put me in better than > normal mood going in to work on Monday. > > Then as I was going past Salem Sound I saw a smallish buteo in a tree right > near the bend. Something about it made me turn around and go back to get a > decent look. It turned out to be a Red-Shouldered Hawk! A good find in > itself. > > 4 year birds in 5 days, along with some other nice birds, without hardly > trying is pretty nice. > > Keep your eyes open and your hopes up! > > Joel Dunnette > near Rochester
