1st Round

11/14/09
Weisse – Accept

11-21-2009
Sturts --Accept

I'm uncomfortable with the distance of this hawk and the view. However, the experience of the observer with the flight of the Red-shouldered and other hawk species is convincing.

11-26-09
Carlisle--Accept

I wish he'd seen the pale crescents in the wings but the flapping pattern and shape are distinctive and I know Kyle to be a careful observer

27 November 2009
Hardy--Accept

The description of flight style and structure does a good job eliminating accipiters and most other likely buteos, but Broad-winged is not clearly eliminated. Report describes this bird as "too lanky" for a BWHA, whereas I would have expected an observer to say it was too long-tailed. But I am crediting the self-professed experience of the observer here in the first round, though I could easily change my mind in the second round - I will read the other first round comments with interest.

12-11-2009
Dave Trochlell--Accept

It was not an easy or quick decision for me to accept this record. The identification of this raptor seemed to be somewhat tentative, being mostly based upon the the bird's distant flight characteristics. But the observer's analysis of the identification in the Similar Species section plus his extensive experience with RSHAs finally convinced me.

12-27-2009
Chuck Trost--Accept

While the distance was fairly large, the description of the flight pattern and wing/tail shape seem to fit this species well.

12-26-2009
Darren Clark--Accept

Brief, but accurate description.