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Patience rewarded



For longer than a year, every time I saw an accipiter, I hoped to get a
positive id--sharp-shinned or Cooper's.  Back in March, during a trip in
New Hampshire, I got good looks at and a positive id on a Cooper's.  That
left the sharpie.  Since then, I've chanced on accipters several times,
either seeing them in bad light or for such a brief instant that no
positive id was possible.  This morning on the college golf course, I
finally got good looks at a sharp-shinned.  It was harassing crows, of all
things.  It landed twice and I got to check it out both times.  I also
observed it flying.  Based on overall size, relative head size, wing set,
and square tail, the bird was a sharpie.  Whee!

Bob

--------------------------------------------------
Robert C. Perkins, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC 28311
910-630-7037     rperkins@methodist.edu