Early this afternoon Maureen & I spotted 1, and very probably 2,
Rough-legged Hawks soaring and flying over Elm Creek Park Reserve.
We first saw them from quite a distance, but with binoculars we could
clearly and repeatedly see the bright white base of the tail contrasting
with a black distal tail half as they repeatedly spiraled. Overall,
they appeared dark. We were pretty sure they were Rough-legged Hawks at
that point. After a few minutes they soared out of view.
Later we got an excellent view of one, as it soared much closer to us
and at a much lower level--clearly a Rough-legged Hawk. The second one
was again well in the distance, but we could see the same high-contrast
tail pattern that we had noted earlier.
Both times the birds were seen over the large marsh that begins about
1/2 mile NW of the Bottineau House parking lot and extends about 3/4
mile to the NW and N.
I'm curious whether anyone else has seen them in that general area this
fall.
Other raptors: adult Bald Eagle near the nest and a Red-tailed Hawk in
the vicinity of the Bottineau House.
NOTE: Elm Creek Park will be closed tomorrow and Sunday for a gun deer
hunt.
Ron Refsnider
Coon Rapids, MN
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