[EBB Sightings] MYSTERY HAWKS

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Dear EBB,

I'm hoping for some elucidation about five (possibly six) hawks seen =
together on Sunday, October 2, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.  The birds =
were first seen as a group of three which spent about 30 minutes flying, =
diving, interacting, separating and coming back together, soaring high =
and then gliding as low as our tree tops, over the southern end of =
Montclair in Oakland.  I was on the roof and had 360 degree views for =
most of that time.

The birds appeared and disappeared, flew back into sight, out of sight =
behind trees but generally circled in the same very large area, east and =
south over Redwood Park, west toward the Bay and north over Skyline =
Blvd.   As two of the original three birds disappeared from view to the =
west, three more appeared immediately from the south and were, I believe =
new individuals.=20

All birds gave an appearance of being very light from below.  They were =
buteo-shaped but seemed large and heavy.  The "fingers" at the tips of =
their wings were black.   As they flew low, there was an appearance of a =
pale buffy band across the chest.   After flying out-of-sight around =
6:30, one bird flew back into view at 7:00 p.m. and landed atop one of =
our deodars.  With glasses I could see a finely banded, pale tail.

Kay Loughman has suggested juvenile Red-taileds.  Their playful =
behavior, including mimicking courtship flight free falls, makes that an =
attractive possibility.  Any other ideas?  Did anyone else see this =
bunch?  And how common  would a group of five or six be when not =
feeding?

Thank you for any ideas you may have.

Sylvia Sykora
Oakland
Montclair - near Castle/Skyline
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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
six)=20
hawks seen together on Sunday, October 2, between 5:30 and 7:00 =
p.m. =20
The birds were first seen as a group of three which spent about 30 =
minutes=20
flying, diving, interacting, separating and coming back together, =
soaring high=20
and then gliding as low as our tree tops, over the southern end of =
Montclair in=20
Oakland.  I was on the roof and had 360 degree views for most of =
that=20
time.
sight, out=20
of sight behind trees but generally circled in the same very large area, =
east=20
and south over Redwood Park, west toward the Bay and north over Skyline =
Blvd.=20
  As two of the original three birds disappeared from view to =
the=20
west, three more appeared immediately from the south and were, I believe =
new=20
individuals. 
from=20
below.  They were buteo-shaped but seemed large and=20
heavy.  The "fingers" at the tips of their wings were =
black. =20
 As they flew low, there was an appearance of a pale =
buffy band=20
across the chest.   After flying out-of-sight around 6:30, one bird =
flew=20
back into view at 7:00 p.m. and landed atop one of our =
deodars.  With=20
glasses I could see a finely banded, pale tail.
Red-taileds.  Their=20
playful behavior, including mimicking courtship flight free falls, makes =
that an=20
attractive possibility.  Any other ideas?  Did anyone else see =
this=20
bunch?  And how common  would a group of five or six be when =
not=20
feeding?
Castle/Skyline

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