[ValleyNature] white red-tailed hawk + pheasant courtship, geese, etc.

[James W. Wolford]

Forgive me if I sent some of these notes earlier.  Cheers from Jim in  
Wolfville, 542-9204

FEB. !9, 2010 - A MERLIN flew by our house in Wolfville; I don't  
think I have seen any other merlins in Wolfville this winter.

At about 4 p.m. there were about 300 Canada geese in corn stubble  
just south of Port Williams on the dykelands, with numerous ducks in  
with them.

FEB. 22, 2010 - We woke up to a GORGEOUS WINTER WONDERLAND WITH NEW  
STICKY SNOW ON ALL TREE AND SHRUB BRANCHES ETC.  I took 2 PHOTOS in  
each of film and digital modes.  The temperature rising after early  
morning made the wonderland disappear all too soon.

At our feeders, a pair of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS provided some active  
courtship entertainment this morning.  A huge cock with very large  
expanded comb on both sides of his face had a single hen with him,  
and he repeatedly bent his body and opened his tail to show her all  
of his glorious plumage, and then he ran at her awkwardly in that  
bent, strutting position at least three times.  Needless to say, she  
got out of the way each time and tried to ignore him.

FEB. 23, 2010 - I decided to look for the WHITE RED-TAILED HAWK at  
Hortonville, and my search was an instant one! since it was perched  
in one of its favourite spots, on one of a bunch of unnatural tall  
posts that are part of a garden?, just a bit east of the Keddie  
farmhouse and long old barn.  The spot is just across the Hwy. 101  
overpass from Just Us! Coffee Roastery.  Turn left onto the dirt road  
that goes past the farmhouse and barn, then look right (south) to see  
the posts, not far from the road.  If you are lucky, you should be  
able to view the hawk from your car without flushing the hawk.  Today  
it flushed, before I could look for the dark splotch on the top back  
of its head -- otherwise it looks totally gannet-white from any  
distance.  I believe it was seen there first by Brian Starzomski and  
three others nine years ago on Feb. 10?, 2001? (date to be  
confirmed).  This hawk was also seen on our annual C.K. Coldwell  
Eagles and Raptors Count of Eastern King's County on Jan. 31, 2010.

If the white hawk is not on those posts, it also likes the small tree  
near there and close to the house and barn, or look along the fence- 
posts at the south edge of the open field, or on power poles or tall  
poplar? trees further to the east.
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