Updates: ***as promised*** regarding Leucistic or Dilute plumage birds.... (Posting for recent attendees of recent outings and presentations)

Dilute Plumage:

Faded Colors, The normal birds color pattern is evident, but dilute-plumage is very faded compared to a normally colored bird.

Pied, Leucistic, or “Partial albinism”

Areas of Pure White In Odd Spots, Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the feathers, but not the eyes.

 Dilute Plumage Red-tailed Hawk (Joan Geary) Sonoma County, "Powder" 

 Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk  (George Eade) Solano County "Casper"

 Dilute Plumage Red-tailed Hawk (Rick Evets)  Marin County "Smokey"

 Dilute Plumage RTHA (West County Hawkwatch stock photo) "Dusty"

 Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk  (George Eade) Solano County

 Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk 

(Photo from CVB {Central Valley Birds group} all rights original photographer)

 Dilute Plumage Bald Eagle (Larry Broderick) Lower Klamath Basin  

 Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk  (random internet photo, all rights to original photographer)

Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk  (Pamela Rose Hawken) Sonoma County "Store"

2003 Joseph Morlan, Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk

Karen Burnson Dilute Bald Eagle "Lucky" South Bay Area

John Ma, Dilute Bald Eagle "Lucky" South Bay Area

Leucistic and Dilute Plumage Birds of Prey

Jenner Bald Eagle 1-28-15

Bald Eage ID study: Take Flight with The Crossley ID Guide: Bald Eagles adult/subadult

Take Flight with The Crossley ID Guide: Bald Eagles adult/subadult

all copyrights Princeton and Crossley 2013.
this photo is from the book, which is a great field and home reference tool and we at WCHW highly recommend acquiring this book...

Dilute Plumage Bald Eagle Lower Klamath Basin

 Dave and Josh got to see this beauty last Tuesday 2/26/2013.

MBC photo, copyright WCHW 2012.

Lower Klamath Basin Raptors 2013

Greetings Raptor fans,
We had a couple teams in over the last few days at the Lower Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge. (post 2013 Winter Wings festival)

This trip was dubbed the "not fresh enough team" in honor of those who decided that.

(internal WCHW memo 2012 WiWi updates)

We wanted to Thank Charlotte Kisling, Jesse & Claire House, David Barry, Sameth Prom and Josh Asel for a great trip and some memorable sightings and stories.....

               Broderick-House photo copyright 2013


Spent 8 hours at: Ashland I-5, Medford Hwy 140, Kamath Falls Hwy 97 and the Lower Klamath Refuge, hit the famous area where the Dilute had been seen, then Tule Lk, to Visitor center, to Lower Klamath road and the FEHA/GOEA hot spots, then to the Lower K. Ref., then out through Straights Drain parcels and out the Township rd and back up the 97, 140, I-5 to Ashland (2/25/2013)

 4 year old Bald Eagle. Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge 2013.

Broderick-House photo copyright 2013

2/25/2013 Lower Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge Complex system.

this list is subject to change over the next couple days as data is confirmed...
325+ Balds
14 FEHA  (w 1 dark)
57 RLHA (w 8 dark)
2 SSHA
7 GOEA
63 NOHA (w 13 male) few juv's as cinnamon/pumpkin has/is fading/changing.
121 RTHA  (w 8 dark, 6 inter/rufus & 13 juv)
7 AMKE
1 RSHA
3 PRFA
1 GHOW

Wish you were here....

    PRFA 2-25-2013 north of Malin Oregon. Broderick-House photo copyright 2013


We have more coming, Dave Barry is our ebird coordinator and data/records management guy and he is on his way home today (2/27/2013)

LB.

Leucistic Bald Eagle Lower Klamath Basin 2012

photo copyright 2012 M. Crittendon/L. Broderick, WCHW

Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge Complex 2012. West County Hawk Watch with Solano Land Trust Raptor ID team up in the north east corner of the basin. Nice photo M.B.C.

 photo copyright 2012 M. Crittendon/L. Broderick, WCHW