----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 9:29
AM
Subject: ID Help - Please
Hi List,
My wife and I were in our kitchen and both
just happened to catch
two birds flying across the field behind our
house.
This was one of those split-second, corner of the eye
glimpses,
that we both caught, but that makes those of us who watch for
birds
know that something different had just entered, and quickly
left,
our field of view. <G>
The birds were predominantly
black, slightly larger than grackles.
Even though we only saw them for
a nano-second, we both noticed
what appeared to be a heron-like
appearance, "pulled-in" neck in flight
and legs trailing
behind.
The lead bird had what appeared to be a red rump, much as a
Northern
Harrier has a white rump in winter --- that's the closest
comparison
I can think of at the moment. we didn't see any red on
the
trailing bird, except for what we both thought might have
been
reddish, or rusty colored legs.
If we both hadn't seen the same
"similarities", we agreed that we
probably would have thought it was our
imagination.
Looking through Sibley and Peterson, the Least Bittern
best
fits the size and body shape description -- but the wings and
overall
color was really much darker to black.
We live about 16
miles west of the Mississippi and do, occasionally,
see birds "out
here" that must venture away from the river for a day's
outing.
;o)
Any thoughts???
Thanks,
John Hitzeman
Troy/Lincoln
County
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