1st Round

2nd Round

02-04-2009.
Sturts--Accept

Diagnositic field marks such as the long tail and face white with black frame eliminate other owls.

02-21-2009.
Sturts --Accept

As for habitat, it could have just been moving through the area. A Short-eared Owl has verticle stripes. When I saw N.Hawk Owl years, I was driving I-90. When you see one you know it is something different. I took the next exit and doubled back for a good look. I don't think one would mix it up with a N. Harrier. Although I didn't take field notes, I did call the birding hot line and many birders saw this bird over the next couple of weeks. From Scott's description. I feel comfortable with voting to accept.

2/4/09.
Cliff Weisse--Accept

Combination of field marks included in report sufficient to eliminate other owls and confirm the ID of Northern Hawk-Owl

3/1/09.
Cliff Weisse--Accept

The description is convincing despite concerns about habitat and brevity of sighting. The field marks included in the written report are enough to eliminate other species and it's believable that the observer much was seen in a very short sighting. I think about buteos perched atop power poles and how easy they are to ID at 65 MPH and have no qualms about doing the same with a distinctive species like Hawk Owl at eye level and at close range.

02-07-2009.
Dave Trochlell--Reject, specific identification not established

This one gave me a great deal of consternation. I'm bothered by the following elements of this observation:

1) The observer (who is not an active or experienced birder) saw an owl he didn't recognize from his vehicle.

2) He doesn't tell us whether he stopped his vehicle to look more closely at the bird, so I'm guessing the bird was seen from his moving vehicle.

3) The observer waited several days to match up his memory of the bird with his field guides.

02-20-2009.
Dave Trochlell--Reject, specific identification not established

I'm going to maintain my vote to reject this one.

02-08-2009.
chuck trost--Accept

While admitting my prejudice, I feel confident this is what Scott and Jen saw.

02-20-2009.
chuck trost--Accept

While admitting my bias, I have full confidence that Scott would know a northern harrier and short-eared owl immediately. I hesitated to comment on the thoughts expressed on the web, but am convinced that he stopped the car and examined the bird carefully.

02-08-2009.
Doug Ward--Accept

After my first read, I was a bit concerned the observer hadn’t tried to eliminate Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) given the bird was apparently in fairly open ground. However, although Short-eareds overlap with Hawk Owls in size, they don’t have a “tail similar to that of a falcon”, and show vertical streaking on the chest as compared to the “horizontal bars on the chest” of this bird. These guys are pretty distinctive so I believe the ID was correct.

03-02-2009.
Doug Ward--Accept

The habitat issue on this one is certainly interesting, but I've come to the conclusion that I come to often in this regard - "birds have wings". I'm sticking with my earlier accept vote as this is a very distinctive species and I find it plausable that this bird was hunting out there on its way through to who knows where.

15 February 2009.
Hardy--Accept

Basic diagnostic features noted.

2 March 2009.
Hardy--Accept

Although the habitat is atypical, the report describes the diagnostic features of a NHOW. The horizontal barring on the chest eliminates harrier. (My vote was not affected by the supplemental information provided by the reporter during the second round.)

2-18-09.
Carlisle--Accept

good description

3-4-09.
Carlisle--Accept

no change from round 1 - a distinctive species