[Tweeters] A most unique and beautiful RTHA

[Ronda Stark]

Hi Eric,

Thank you for sharing this lovely photo. I also was intrigued by your
earlier photo of the Gyrfalcon. Have you only seen him one time?

We used to fairly regularly see a Gyrfalcon in the vicinity of Bay- Edison
but to the best of my limited knowledge he/she has not been seen this year.

Ronda

On Sun, Mar 3, 2024 at 11:10 AM Eric Ellingson <esellingson at gmail.com>
wrote:


> My first recorded encounter with this hawk was 10 years ago. I've seen it

> on and off over the past decade but then a couple of years ago I did not

> see it again until late last winter briefly through the woods.  I was glad

> it had not died. It is such a special sight. Yesterday I found it again in

> great lighting. With my current camera setup, I could get a decent close-up

> look from quite a ways away.

>

> The almost normal head color, streaks of white in the crown like an old

> guy, the black/white keyboard look on its wings and the stunning red tail

> make it a real beauty.

>

> The only place I've ever seen it is on Grandview in Ferndale between

> October and March.

>

> About  Leucism: An uncommon sighting (here or anywhere) is a leucistic Red-tailed

> Hawk. Leucism is a genetic condition in which parts or all of an animal's

> body surface lack cells capable of producing any type of pigment.

>

> Leucism is similar to albinism (and frequently mistaken for it), however,

> albinos cannot create melanin, one specific type of pigment. Leucistic

> individuals usually have normal eye color, unlike albinos, which generally

> have red eyes.

>

> Photos of it HERE <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericellingson/>

>

> Eric Ellingson

>

> 360-820-6396

> esellingson at gmail.com

> https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericellingson/

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