[SBB] Ed Levin Park - Swainson's Hawk

[[[email protected]] (Mike Rogers)]

All,

I made a late morning check of Ed Levin Park today 3/23/07. Lots of soaring raptors included an OSPREY over Sandy Wool Lake, 2 COOPER'S HAWKS, 3 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, many RED-TAILED HAWKS and TURKEY VULTURES, and a dark morph SWAINSON'S HAWK that drifted up from Milpitas, circled over the Elm Picnic Area and the nearby golf course, and ultimately rose up over the ridge to the east (in view for ten minutes). For some of the time it was with an immature dark morph RED-TAILED HAWK, providing a nice comparison. Aging dark morph Swainson's Hawks can be tough, as wing and tail shape of young birds are similar to those of adults, but the broad subterminal band of this bird suggests a bird over a year old (rectrices are not molted until summer), yet the body plumage was not as solidly colored as might be expected of an older adult - perhaps a TY (third calendar year) bird? The long, pointed narrow wings, harrier-like silhouette, and pale undertail coverts of this bird were distinctive.

Newly arrived migrants included BULLOCK'S ORIOLES in the Elm PA and by the dog park and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER in the ELM PA. All SELASPHORUS HUMMINGBIRDS were ALLEN'S, or at least courting like ALLEN'S in known ALHU territories. WILD TURKEYS were all over, including in atlas block 0045 north of Old Calaveras Road. At least one lingering VARIED THRUSH was at the Elm PA; a LINCOLN'S SPARROW was at the start of the Spring Valley Trail and two LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCHES flew over the corral near there.

Mike Rogers
Sunnyvale


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