Who is this handsome devil?

[anna in boots]

He's big, like a squirrel on 'roids. Maybe 25% bigger than your average chunky red or grey. Docile and curious, he posed for photographs about ten feet away from me at the Rest Stop just before The Dalles on 84. Apparently, he had set up house in the juniper bushes there. Think I'll name him Spud....

Also, could this be a Red-tailed Hawk tail feather? Saw it down in the Deschutes.

anna in boots

[Jane]

Hey, I need to show that "squirrel" photo to Jen (cfm) so she knows we're not crazy! We saw the creature move in some brush at Catherine Creek and we both went "what the heck was that? It looked like a rabbit with a squirrel tail". We didn't see him again for a photo, great shot! I wonder if some kind of ground squirrel?

[fettster]

Maybe Townsend's Ground Squirrel:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/w ... #townsquir

Might that be an American Kestrel feather? Love those birds.

[Waffle Stomper]

Maybe Townsend's Ground Squirrel:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/w ... #townsquir

Might that be an American Kestrel feather? Love those birds.

Fettster, I think you are correct about the Ground squirrel.

I'm voting red tail hawk http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/fea ... tail_adult
vs.
http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/fea ... ail_female or
http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/fea ... _tail_male

[anna in boots]

California Ground Squirrel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Ground_Squirrel

Red-tailed hawk tail feather. Thanks, Waffle!

anna in boots

[fettster]

I'm voting red tail hawk http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/fea ... tail_adult
vs.
http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/fea ... ail_female or
http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/fea ... _tail_male

That's an awesome resource Waffle Stomper! Quite a lot of work involved there I'm sure.

[cfm]

Wow, that feather atlas link is great Wafflestomper!

That is a special treasure Anna. It is unfortunate that ( unless you are a Native American) collecting feathers of birds of prey is considered illegal. I don't think it is something that is prosecuted, unless you were involved in killing the bird. I dont mean to rain on your parade, I just wanted to let you know. I have a "close friend" who has a large collection of such feathers but keeps them in a drawer because she is married to a lawyer who worked for an Indian tribe for a decade.

[fettster]

Wow, that feather atlas link is great Wafflestomper!

That is a special treasure Anna. It is unfortunate that ( unless you are a Native American) collecting feathers of birds of prey is considered illegal. I don't think it is something that is prosecuted, unless you were involved in killing the bird. I dont mean to rain on your parade, I just wanted to let you know. I have a "close friend" who has a large collection of such feathers but keeps them in a drawer because she is married to a lawyer who worked for an Indian tribe for a decade.

Where did Anna say she collected it? Anyways, good info to share with the forum.

[anna in boots]

You are mistaken, very mistaken. Read the post again, carefully. Anna did not say she collected it, she only photographed it. Please don't assume.

And she knows all about the law.

anna in boots

[cfm]

Anna, I'm sorry that my post might have implied that you collected it.