Red-Shouldered Hawk - Virgin 2/5, etc.

["Rick Fridell" <rfridell at burgoyne dot com>]

Hello Everyone,

Today (2/5) I photographed an immature Red-shouldered Hawk in Virgin,
Washington County, UT, near the Town Hall on Mill Road.  The hawk was
observed briefly last Saturday during the St. George Winter Bird Festival by
Glenn Barlow and Alton Thygerson (Thanks for the tip Glenn).  The hawk has
apparently been around for awhile, as I mentioned to Kevin Wheeler that I
was going to look for a small 'mystery' buteo in Virgin, and Kevin said that
he and Pam Larson also had a brief glimpse of the hawk on 1/21.

There was also a large flock of Pinyon Jays in the area, and a small flock
of Red Crossbills feeding on pine cone seeds at the Town Hall.  I did not
see the Lewis's Woodpeckers, or the Williamson's Sapsucker while I was
there, but I did see a Sapsucker fly by with a lot of red on its head.  It
was either a Red-breasted, or more likely a Red-breasted X Red-naped hybrid.

Also, yesterday (2/4), there was a true Cackling Goose (tiny goose with a
round head, tiny bill, and dark breast) with ~ 30 Canada Geese on a pond in
Washington City.  This goose was a relief, as I've been having no luck
sorting a recently split 'Cackler' out of the medium-small geese that are
occasionally seen with the local Canada Geese flocks.  So with the Greater
White-fronted and Ross's Goose at the Spring's Pond, and a Snow Goose at the
SR-9 (Hurricane) Sewage Ponds, yesterday was a Five-Goose Day.

Other birds of note around the county include THREE Herring Gulls (adult,
2nd and 1st winter) and two Horned Grebes at Quail Creek State Park; an
adult White-throated Sparrow at the Mill Creek Park in Washington City, and
(for all you procrastinators) the Red-headed Woodpecker is lingering at the
Wilson Pecan Orchard.

Best Regards,

Rick Fridell
Hurricane, UT

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