Quick!!!!Grab the bino's (1 Viewer)

Now, today started like any other in the garden. The usual Blue,Great,Coal and Marsh Tits, Chaffinch,Robin etc. Then a large raptor flew over the wood that our garden backs onto. Nothing new there as we get fly-overs from Buzzards all the time, so I thought...another Buzzard. But as it came closer over the tops of the trees I noticed something different that jogged my memory from what I have read about certain raptors flying, a flap,flap glide. So I grabbed the bino's and focussed them on the best view I have had yet of a fantastic GOSHAWK!!! Pity it didn't come into our garden and grab one of the Wood Pigeons fea.ding at that time, so can't add it to our garden list.
Anyway, just thought I would share this moment with you all at Bird Forums

Great sighting Gaz. I'm going on a trip to Holland in a few weeks and i hope to encounter some Goshawks.

Nice flyover Gaz.

Well...THAT certainly puts my excitement at having two male Yellowhammers at my feeding station this afternoon into the shade! LOL
I've yet to see a Goshawk but I know they can be found at Keilder which isn't too far away so, now I have my driving licence, I'm planning to get myself along there soon.

Well done you though for seeing it...perhaps it'll hang around and you might get it on your garden list yet!

GILL

Gill, yellowhammers at feeding station is brill! now that would be a bird to shout about. Swap you a few house sparrows!

great stuff! - shame it wasnt hunting though.

Gill - i will let you know if i see any goshawks when im up kielder on the 24th/25th feb.

Your post put me in mind of a time about 20 years ago when I stumbled across a northern goshawk nest in Manitoba, Canada. I had found goshawk nests before, but usually because there was much carrying on by the adults. This time I just happened to spot it. There was a spruce tree about 10 m away that seemed to be beckoning me to climb up for a view. Ever watchful of an aerial attack I climbed up the spruce and took a few pics of the two youngsters in the nest. Still no sign of the parents. Just before I reached the ground again, in came one of the adults with a crow nestling clutched in its grip. It dropped the crow and took a perch to scold me from. I backed away from one spruce to another, never taking my eyes off her. When I thought I was safe under a low spruce bough, I turned away to plan the rest of my exit. That's when I had my hair parted. Finally I reached an open field. The goshawk perched high in an aspen on the forest edge and continued to scream at me. Then it swooped down, picking up speed, and headed straight at me. I'll never forget the image of that grey bullet, wings slightly agape, total focus, intent clear. At the last moment I swung my day pack up over my head. The wings flared, the goshawk swished over the top of the pack, and it returned to the forest. Point made.

Cheers,
Scott