E- bird rarities

An interesting essay by Gary Bletsch, a Skagit County, WA., advanced birder and world traveler. At watweeters—21 June 2020, e- bird, rarities, and other matters.

I was at the bottom of the steep roadway, when a Cooper’s Hawk was about 30 degrees off my zenith at about 100 feet altitude. The hawk was “large” and had “long” wings. The hawk was going up the hill. The wing beats were somewhat loose and sloppy. The wings were not sharply outlined. The primaries were not “clean- cut.” The hawk was lanky. The tail was long and thin. The chest and belly were thin. The hawk was female.

What I am hinting is that if you truly understood the shape and movement of the Cooper’s, the moment you observe an accipiter that is not a Cooper’s, you should say, “ That’s not a Cooper’s.” In other words, you do not have to understand the Goshawk, just know the Cooper’s Hawk. Nearly every action we take is a process of elimination.

The Thought: A good read— How Emotions Are Made— Lisa Feldman Barrett. NB.