Swainson's Hawk:
The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) was first described in 1838 by Charles Bonaparte, a French naturalist and ornithologist who also happened to be the nephew of the Emperor Napoleon. He named the bird after William Swainson, a British naturalist. Swainson's Hawks are long-distance migrants with some traveling more then 6,000 miels each way. They often migrate from their summer range in Eastern Washington to spend the winter in the grasslands and agricultural areas of southern Argentina.
An unusual hawk to see in Southwestern Washington, especially during the Winter months !!!
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken January 9, 2009.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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January 2, 2009 ... Christmas Bird Count ...
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The Swainson's Hawk was present for the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count. The area of Vancouver Lake and Shillapoo Wildlife Areas were counted on January 2, 2009.
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken January 2, 2009.
Canon S5 "SuperZoom".
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December 27, 2008 ... after "record" snowfall for the Vancouver, Washington, area ...
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More than 14 inches of snow in December gave Vancouver its whitest Christmas ever. According to weather watchers, it was Vancouver’s heaviest snowfall in 40 years.
["Columbian.com" website, December 27, 2008]
The National Weather Service says the winter wallop that dealt the Portland area nearly 19 inches of snow in the last two weeks has by one measurement made December the snowiest month since January 1950 in a city more noted for winter rain. Based on the snowfall at Portland International Airport, meteorologist Charles Dalton said, the winter weather also gave the city its snowiest Christmas at least since 1940, when the agency began recording precipitation levels there.
The January 1950 total at the airport was 22 inches of snow.
[KGW News website, December 27, 2008]
These images were captured on the third day into the "melt". Quite a bit of the snow is gone.
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 27, 2008.
Canon Rebel XTi, 200z.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 27, 2008.
Canon Rebel XTi, 200z.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 27, 2008.
Canon Rebel XTi, 200z.
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December 16, 2008 ... early afternoon ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 16, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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December 11, 2008 ... late morning, overcast ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 11, 2008.
Canon S5 SuperZoom.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 11, 2008.
Canon S5 SuperZoom.
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December 11, 2008 ... late afternoon, evening sun ...
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Evening sun, Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 11, 2008.
Canon S5 SuperZoom.
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December 6, 2008 ... late afternoon, sunny ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 6, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 6, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 6, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 6, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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December 3, 2008, weather overcast and gray ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 3, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken December 3, 2008.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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November 26, 2008 ... day of discovery of the Swainson's Hawk ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken November 26, 2008.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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"Day of discovery" of the Swainson's Hawk ... these images were used to identify him.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken November 26, 2008.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken November 26, 2008.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Swainson's Hawk, juvenile, Shillapoo Wildlife Area, Vancouver, Washington.
Image taken November 26, 2008.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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While out-of-focus, image is included here to show coloration under the wings.
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