Torchepot
Well-known member
Back in early March I was moaning about never having seen a displaying Goshawk on Ken M's
"Extralimital BOP" thread. I mentioned this to a mate out here and they told me of a nest site on private land that was being intermittently watched. My first visit drew a blank - though there were several other BOPs present.
Then in early April on a fine warm day with three other birders present the female came up from near the nest site.
This is on a wooded hillside viewed from the opposite ridge, several hundred metres away.
She performed the rollercoaster display repeatedly over about twenty minutes and I managed to keep her in the scope for almost the entire time. We also watched her hunting against the hillside opposite for several minutes.
I was on the lookout for the ID features that are usually quoted, but to be honest I struggled to convince myself that (in relation to Sparrowhawk) the head was more prominent and with a fast moving bird the rounded tail corners were hard to judge.
What was immediately obvious in this particular case was the size - close to buzzard, the crazy undertail coverts - almost encircling the tail and being described at the time as looking like "candy floss on a stick" and the flight. I've heard it said before but for me there was definitely something nightjar-like about it. Long pointed wings, a deliberate, quite slow, rowing action interspersed with short glides. The display itself was brilliant and quite dramatic - prompting lots of oohs, aahs, and even a few ooh la-las!
I tried to concentrate on the distinctive flight hoping that in future encounters with non displaying birds it would help with ID.
OK so far so good - at long last I'd seen something I've always wanted to see and got better views than I'd hoped for.
After she disappeared I set my scope on the trees where the nest is believed to be and some time later I picked up another bird, which came up from near the same spot.
Now things got interesting - a smaller, (but not much smaller) noticeably darker bird without the obvious "candy floss" undertail coverts. It flew along the ridge opposite for several minutes backwards and forwards over the nest site before gaining height and coming a bit closer before being lost to sight.
Having decided (rightly or wrongly) that the female Gos's flight was distinctive I concentrated hard on the action of the second bird. To me the flight action looked the same and not once in several minutes did I see the "flap-flap glide" which I associate with Sparrowhawk.
Once it was gone the others agreed that it was a Sparrowhawk - which really confused me.
When I asked them why they explained that it just wasn't "bulky" enough to be a Gos.
When I asked them about the flight action they pointed out that it was quite windy and that would affect it.
These guys have a lot of experience with Goshawk vs Sparrowhaw and I bow to their greater knowledge - but I found it quite discouraging that within minutes of prolonged views of a definite Goshawk I was left scratching my head over another Accipiter.
Anyway given the chance I know where I'll be next spring!
One nagging doubt in the back of my mind - if a Sparrowhawk flew repeatedly near a Goshawk's nest - wouldn't it get seen off? :eek!:
Cheers,
Phil
"Extralimital BOP" thread. I mentioned this to a mate out here and they told me of a nest site on private land that was being intermittently watched. My first visit drew a blank - though there were several other BOPs present.
Then in early April on a fine warm day with three other birders present the female came up from near the nest site.
This is on a wooded hillside viewed from the opposite ridge, several hundred metres away.
She performed the rollercoaster display repeatedly over about twenty minutes and I managed to keep her in the scope for almost the entire time. We also watched her hunting against the hillside opposite for several minutes.
I was on the lookout for the ID features that are usually quoted, but to be honest I struggled to convince myself that (in relation to Sparrowhawk) the head was more prominent and with a fast moving bird the rounded tail corners were hard to judge.
What was immediately obvious in this particular case was the size - close to buzzard, the crazy undertail coverts - almost encircling the tail and being described at the time as looking like "candy floss on a stick" and the flight. I've heard it said before but for me there was definitely something nightjar-like about it. Long pointed wings, a deliberate, quite slow, rowing action interspersed with short glides. The display itself was brilliant and quite dramatic - prompting lots of oohs, aahs, and even a few ooh la-las!
I tried to concentrate on the distinctive flight hoping that in future encounters with non displaying birds it would help with ID.
OK so far so good - at long last I'd seen something I've always wanted to see and got better views than I'd hoped for.
After she disappeared I set my scope on the trees where the nest is believed to be and some time later I picked up another bird, which came up from near the same spot.
Now things got interesting - a smaller, (but not much smaller) noticeably darker bird without the obvious "candy floss" undertail coverts. It flew along the ridge opposite for several minutes backwards and forwards over the nest site before gaining height and coming a bit closer before being lost to sight.
Having decided (rightly or wrongly) that the female Gos's flight was distinctive I concentrated hard on the action of the second bird. To me the flight action looked the same and not once in several minutes did I see the "flap-flap glide" which I associate with Sparrowhawk.
Once it was gone the others agreed that it was a Sparrowhawk - which really confused me.
When I asked them why they explained that it just wasn't "bulky" enough to be a Gos.
When I asked them about the flight action they pointed out that it was quite windy and that would affect it.
These guys have a lot of experience with Goshawk vs Sparrowhaw and I bow to their greater knowledge - but I found it quite discouraging that within minutes of prolonged views of a definite Goshawk I was left scratching my head over another Accipiter.
Anyway given the chance I know where I'll be next spring!
One nagging doubt in the back of my mind - if a Sparrowhawk flew repeatedly near a Goshawk's nest - wouldn't it get seen off? :eek!:
Cheers,
Phil
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