[NatureNS] white red-tail at Hortonville, now nearly 10 winters

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From: "James W. Wolford" <jwwolford@mac.com>
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:20:20 -0400
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> Subject: white red-tail at Hortonville, now nearly 10 winters
>
>
> DEC. 7, 2009 - Via just dumb luck, I stumbled onto two early =20
> records for that NEARLY-ALL-WHITE RED-TAILED HAWK at Hortonville.  =20
> I found an old issue of the Blomidon Nat. Soc.'s newsletter for =20
> Spring 2002 lying around at home, and inside it, in Mike McCall's =20
> column on King's County seasonal birds, was my own sighting on Feb. =20=

> 26, 2002.  Later in the same day Pat Hawes also saw presumably the =20
> same bird in the same area.  And, a year earlier, on Feb. 12, 2001, =20=

> Brian Starzomski and Ian Paterson and 2 others  saw almost =20
> certainly the very same bird in the same area, noting the dark =20
> feathers on the head (top back of head) and the reddish colour of =20
> the top of the tail (tail colour like a normal adult red-tail).  =20
> The tail was still quite reddish in 2002, but since then it has =20
> faded greatly and now shows only a hint of its former redness =20
> (although I recall seeing once in flight that the central tail =20
> feathers were reddish while the peripheral ones were whitish, I =20
> think).  I calculate, then, that by Spring 2010 this bird will have =20=

> been here for 10 consecutive winters.  Now we need someone to check =20=

> on and report how many winters that similar bird in Sheffield Mills =20=

> lasted decades ago?  That bird was much more difficult to observe =20
> and approach, so that identifying details were probably never =20
> noted, but, like the current hawk, it looked all white at any =20
> distance.  However, as with the 2001-2009 bird, the eyes were dark =20
> and cere and legs/feet were yellow.
>
> Here are the actual entries in the two newsletters:
>
> - NOVA SCOTIA BIRDS, Spring 2001 issue (journal of N.S. Bird =20
> Society) states:
>
> =93On Feb. 12 [2001], Meg Krawchuk, Ian Paterson, Brian Starzomski, =20=

> and Kim
> Woody spent a good deal of time looking at a PARTIALLY ALBINO/=20
> LEUCISTIC
> RED-TAIL[ED HAWK] near the Hortonville exit, Highway 101, Kings =20
> Co.; the
> majority (~90%) of the bird was white, with several dark brown =20
> feathers
> present on the head and the tail retained much of its red pigment.=94
>
> - from my own personal journal:
>
> Feb. 26, 2002 - At 2 p.m. I was driving east on Highway 101 at =20
> Hortonville
> and was stopped short by the sighting of a large, brilliantly white =20=

> bird
> perched in a few trees 150 metres south of the highway.  I =91scoped =20=

> it, and
> it was a NEARLY-ALL-WHITE ADULT RED-TAILED HAWK, with a beautiful =20
> normal bright reddish tail (possibly the outer tail feathers were =20
> white??).  Its
> body and head were very =93Tide=94 white, except the back of the head =20=

> was dark
> grayish or blackish and the leading edge of the folded left wing was
> blackish (very thin line showing)(right wing not visible).  The =20
> location was
> about 200 metres west of the Gaspereau River where it crosses Hwy. =20
> 101.
>
> Later in the day, perhaps 5 p.m., Pat Martin [Pat Hawes] saw =20
> presumably the same hawk perched in a tree on the north side of =20
> Hwy. 101 at Hortonville.  She had no
> binoculars, and the bird was facing her -- she thought she could =20
> see some
> gray patches perhaps.  (In my sighting the hawk was facing partly =20
> away from
> me, so that its underparts were mostly not visible.)
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
>
>
>


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><br></div><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>white red-tail at Hortonville, now =
nearly 10 winters</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div> <div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica"><b>DEC. 7, 2009</b> - Via just dumb luck, I stumbled =
onto two early records for that <b>NEARLY-ALL-WHITE RED-TAILED HAWK at =
Hortonville</b>.&nbsp; I found an old issue of the Blomidon Nat. Soc.'s =
newsletter for Spring 2002 lying around at home, and inside it, in Mike =
McCall's column on King's County seasonal birds, was my own sighting on =
Feb. 26, 2002.&nbsp; Later in the same day Pat Hawes also saw presumably =
the same bird in the same area.&nbsp; And, a year earlier, on Feb. 12, =
2001, Brian Starzomski and Ian Paterson and 2 others &nbsp;saw almost =
certainly the very same bird in the same area, noting the <b>dark =
feathers on the head (top back of head) </b>and the reddish colour of =
the top of the tail (<b>tail colour </b>like a normal adult =
red-tail).&nbsp; The tail was still quite reddish in 2002, but since =
then it has faded greatly and now shows only a hint of its former =
redness (although I recall seeing once in flight that the central tail =
feathers were reddish while the peripheral ones were whitish, I =
think).&nbsp; I calculate, then, that by Spring 2010 this bird will have =
been here for 10 consecutive winters.&nbsp; Now we need someone to check =
on and report how many winters that similar bird in Sheffield Mills =
lasted decades ago?&nbsp; That bird was much more difficult to observe =
and approach, so that identifying details were probably never noted, =
but, like the current hawk, it looked all white at any distance.&nbsp; =
However, as with the 2001-2009 bird, the eyes were dark and cere and =
legs/feet were yellow.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">Here are the actual entries in the two =
newsletters:&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- </font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #001cd5">NOVA =
SCOTIA BIRDS, Spring 2001 issue (journal of N.S. Bird Society) =
states:</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; color: rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: 14px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#001cd5">=93On </font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica"><b>Feb. 12 [2001]</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#001cd5">, Meg Krawchuk, Ian Paterson, Brian Starzomski, and =
Kim</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#001cd5">Woody spent a good deal of time looking at a </font><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica"><b>PARTIALLY ALBINO/LEUCISTIC</b></font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica"><b>RED-TAIL[ED HAWK</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#001cd5">] near the Hortonville exit, Highway 101, Kings Co.; =
the</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#001cd5">majority (~90%) of the bird was white, with several dark brown =
feathers</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#001cd5">present on the head and the tail retained much of its red =
pigment.=94</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- from my own personal journal:</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Feb. =
26, 2002</b> - At 2 p.m. I was driving east on Highway 101 at =
Hortonville</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">and was stopped short by the =
sighting of a large, brilliantly white bird</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">perched in a few trees 150 metres south of the =
highway.&nbsp; I =91scoped it, and</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">it was a =
<b>NEARLY-ALL-WHITE ADULT RED-TAILED HAWK</b>, with a beautiful normal =
bright reddish tail (possibly the outer tail feathers were =
white??).&nbsp; Its</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">body and =
head were very =93Tide=94 white, except the back of the head was =
dark</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">grayish or blackish and the =
leading edge of the folded left wing was</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">blackish (very thin line showing)(right wing not =
visible).&nbsp; The location was</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">about 200 =
metres west of the Gaspereau River where it crosses Hwy. =
101.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">Later in the day, perhaps 5 p.m., Pat Martin [Pat =
Hawes] saw presumably the same hawk perched in a tree on the north side =
of Hwy. 101 at Hortonville.&nbsp; She had no</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">binoculars, and the bird was facing her -- she thought =
she could see some</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">gray =
patches perhaps.&nbsp; (In my sighting the hawk was facing partly away =
from</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">me, so that its underparts =
were mostly not visible.)</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><b><br></b></div><div><br></div> =
</blockquote></div><br></body></html>=

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