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Yesterday's sighting of the Gyrfalcon was wonderful but
I need to give credit where credit is due.
When I originally saw the bird I was travelling west into the setting
sun and could only see a silhouette of a raptor perched atop
a utility pole in front of me. As I passed underneath the bird I
noticed that the back didn't have a white "V" that would
easily ID it as a Red-tailed Hawk. I also noticed that
the back was gray and that the wings were folded higher
up on the body than a hawk's would be.
Passing it and seeing it in the rear-view mirror I could see what
appeared to be a clean chest. I knew it was a Gyr only
because I study my field guides.
Chance favors the prepared mind. Study and read you field guides,
don't just look at the pretty pictures because no bird
in real life will ever look exactly like the field guide shows.
After the bird flew off I dismissed the chance of refinding it,
how many times can one catch lightning in a bottle?
A mile west of the original spot I noticed a flock of about
a thousand - no exaggeration - waterfowl swirling around a field.
I immediately thought of Mark Alt's recent post about falconers
and the comment that Gyrfalcon's are attracted to swirling flocks
of birds. And also thought to myself that nothing will get a flock of
birds up and swirling like a predator such as a Gyrfalcon.
And voila! There it was, perched atop a utility pole on the
edge of the field surveying the swirling madness.
I don't know if I would have refound the bird without that tip and
I need to send a big THANK YOU!!! out to Mark for sharing the
information about Gyr's and a big THANK YOU!!! to falconing
community for so generously sharing that information with Mark.
Chris Benson
Rochester
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yesterday's sighting of the Gyrfalcon =
was wonderful=20
but</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I need to give credit where credit is=20
due.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When I originally saw the bird I was =
travelling=20
west into the setting</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>sun and could only see a silhouette of =
a raptor=20
perched atop</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>a utility pole in front of me. As =
I passed=20
underneath the bird I</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>noticed that the back didn't have a =
white "V" that=20
would</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>easily ID it as a Red-tailed =
Hawk. I also=20
noticed that</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>the back was gray and that the wings =
were folded=20
higher</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>up on the body than a hawk's would =
be.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Passing it and seeing it in the =
rear-view mirror I=20
could see what</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>appeared to be a clean chest. I =
knew it=20
was a Gyr only</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>because I study my field =
guides.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Chance favors the prepared mind. =
Study and=20
read you field guides,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>don't just look at the pretty pictures =
because no=20
bird</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>in real life will ever look exactly =
like the field=20
guide shows.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>After the bird flew off I dismissed the =
chance of=20
refinding it,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>how many times can one catch lightning =
in a=20
bottle?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A mile west of the original spot I =
noticed a flock=20
of about</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>a thousand - no exaggeration - =
waterfowl swirling=20
around a field.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I immediately thought of Mark Alt's =
recent post=20
about falconers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>and the comment that Gyrfalcon's are =
attracted to=20
swirling flocks</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>of birds. And also thought to =
myself that=20
nothing will get a flock of</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>birds up and swirling like a predator =
such as a=20
Gyrfalcon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And voila! There it was, perched =
atop a=20
utility pole on the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>edge of the field surveying the =
swirling=20
madness.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I don't know if I would have refound =
the bird=20
without that tip and</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I need to send a big THANK YOU!!! out =
to Mark for=20
sharing the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>information about Gyr's and a big THANK =
YOU!!! to=20
falconing</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>community for so generously sharing =
that=20
information with Mark.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Chris Benson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rochester</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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