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Post by Gord on Apr 15, 2007 20:10:41 GMT -8
Just after lunch this afternoon, Dad calls me to report he just had, what Im 100% confident is a white-tailed kite, fly over the road in front of his truck.
This time he was ready and watching for the key field marks we discussed when he first reported this small, white raptor earlier in the month. As far as Im concerned, he slam-dunked it 100%. The markings on pointed wings (shoulders) with extensive black on the wing-tips were well seen against the light body. Once again the flight was described somewhat like a seagull and not like any hawk he's seen. I risked offending his abilities by suggesting a male northern harrier, which I know he knows, and he was clear that this is a hawk and something he's never ever seen before. He stopped and got out of his truck to see it apparently land in a tree in the middle of a field.
The sighting occurred about 1km from the first sighting on Adams Rd just off Lickman Rd in west Chilliwack. This whole area is agricultural. I managed to go looking about an hour later but could not find it.
Looks like this bird is sticking around as it was about two weeks since the last sighting. This area is close to my place and very close to his so we'll both be watching closely for it.
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Post by tmanson on Apr 16, 2007 14:38:15 GMT -8
Gord: Thanks for the update. Hopefully, some of us can make it out that way for a look around. Cheers, Thor
Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.
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mac
Member
Posts: 72
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Post by mac on Apr 16, 2007 21:51:42 GMT -8
Hi Birders
Dorothy and I had a fairly quick look just before lunch today. Weather was foul and we saw nothing of note but we will be back!
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mac
Member
Posts: 72
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Post by mac on Apr 19, 2007 18:15:02 GMT -8
We had another go at Adams Road today about 3.45pm. Just as we were about to give up I spotted - at a distance - a pale coloured bird of prey quartering a field bordering Lickman Road on the north side of Adams. I saw it for a fraction of a second and to be honest my first thought was Harrier..it was flying fairly low about 15 feet above the ground and then it was out of sight. We chased up Adams Road but I reckon it must have crossed Lickman.  As we were sitting in the car about 100 metres from the intersection with Lickman a Common Snipe appeared out of nowhere and literally crash landed in the field about 3 metres from us!! Interesting but very frustrating. |
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Post by Gord on Apr 19, 2007 20:29:54 GMT -8
Mac, there is a harrier male that's been in the area all winter. I saw him again on Monday which gave me a brief start. Had I not known the observer and have his field observations I admit I would wonder a little bit as male harriers around here are easily outnumbered by females and juvenile birds and are not commonly seen. It's good to consider all options but I would have a hard time convincing myself that suddenly now dad's confusing a bird he's seen before AND seeing things you wouldn't find on a harrier. I love those snipe. You can go looking for them and not find them, but when you're not even thinking about them they land in front of you or scare the daylights out of you when you flush one while looking at other birds.  |
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mac
Member
Posts: 72
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Post by mac on Apr 19, 2007 21:01:55 GMT -8
Hi Gord I'm pretty certain there is, or was, a Kite in the area, from the description given. My frustration was in catching a very fleeting glimpse of the pale coloured bird of prey and then not being able to put a tag on it! We will keep looking..  |
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Post by Gord on Apr 20, 2007 14:31:38 GMT -8
I know what you mean!! I look extra carefully when Im out that way. Mom and dad wont complain if I plan more visits just so I can drive through that neighborhood!
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Post by tmanson on Apr 20, 2007 16:39:17 GMT -8
Hi all: This morning, between 9:00 and 11:00, Jason, and I had a good look around the area for the Kite, without luck. My car was in the shop at this time, and afterwards, when Jason had to be elsewhere, I had another look, also without luck. There is a lot of good kite habitat in that area, and it could be in a number of places, not visible from the road. It's great that folks are looking. Hopefully, it will be relocated. Cheers, Thor
Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.
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Post by kastern on Apr 22, 2007 15:29:16 GMT -8
Just now my husband and I were sitting out on our patio (binoculars and camera that are usually on the patio table whenever I am outside - were in the house)....we watched this bird fly past - fairly low - and said 'there's an Osprey'....wait a minute! that's not an Osprey!! Ran into the house for the binoc's, field guide etc......it COULD have been a male Northern Harrier, but we see lots of Harrier and this didn't seem to fly like a Harrier. This bird had a very easy going, almost leisurely wing beat......it was definitely mainly white with the darker markings outlining the wings that the Field Guide shows for the White Tailed Kite. Do you remember Gord, over a year ago I reported seeing a White raptor like bird over here but again no pictures and I hadn't mentioned it before but back in I think February, my husband had done the backroad coming home across Nicomen and got a very hazy picture (which I have since deleted) of what he described as 2 almost white raptor type birds. At the time we figured they must have been male Northern Harriers and left it at that, although he wasn't happy with it as he was convinced they were white and not light gray. Needless to mention, I will be keeping my eyes open and my camera, or at least my binoculars, glued to me for the next while.
Kathy
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Post by Gord on Apr 24, 2007 7:31:42 GMT -8
That's an interesting sighting Kathy and I think I saw this thing too from Harrison Bridge but the light was poor and the winds a bit heavy so it was hard to see details and the flight would have been altered as it was flying into the wind.
No reason the bird dad saw didnt hop over the river and show up in your area. Kilby is a great looking area!
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