Tuesday, October 18, 2011

RED NG

18 October 11 A.M. Saint Mary Church Anacortes
1 mature female NG circling over and over again at 300 feet elevation near downtown Anacortes. The hawk went back toward MT. ERIE circling at 1000 feet elevation. Observation time 10 minutes. The underwing was not enhanced by the bright sun. I will bet that the underwing coverts were RED. Is this the same NG that I have , to my knowledge, observed only once, in February 2002? That NG had RED underwing coverts.

Monday, October 17, 2011

NG- Joseph Whidby State Park

17 October 11 A.M. North Whidbey Island
1 NG circling over and over again at 500 feet elevation. Also, 1 male - 1 female Harlequin Duck.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

2 goshawks- not doubles

13 October 3:30 P.M. Saint Mary Church- Anacortes
Both NG seemed to be male. Certainly the closer one was male. As I was walking up the steep road to my house , a NG was below and behind my position. I observed this hawk for 4 minutes as it went to 300 feet elevation then overhead, then to 600 feet elevation as it drifted away well past the church. About 2 minutes later, as I reached my house a male NG was ripping through a near-by tree, then went to 300 feet elevation circling about and drifted over and passed the church. This hawk was also observed for 4 minutes.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

second sighting GOS

12 October 5 P.M. Saint Mary Church -Anacortes
1 NG circling low over the church, with a RT. Hawk circling slightly higher. Is this the same NG I observed at 12 P.M. , about one and one-half miles away? It could have been as I could not sex or age the hawks , and could not determine the tail length, terminal band, or tail-tip structure. Even if goshawks are observed 5 miles apart, that does not make a disparate area. When goshawks are observed 10 miles apart- that is a good indication that you are observing different Goshawks, as we are talking of 2 disparate areas.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Anacortes Hospital Goshawk

1 NG circling over and over again at 150 feet elevation at Anacortes Hospital. Observation time 90 seconds. I departed the area with the hawk yet circling.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Goshawks far away

7 October 4:15 P.M. Grand View Cemetery - Anacortes
Goshawk Doubles! Goshawks circling over and over again at about 600 feet elevation. The hawks could not be observed naked -eye. That is why I use binos. And that is why most good hawk watchers use binos. The dark overcast had just been replaced by bright sun and lots of blue sky! This is another example of strategies and tactics, in order to observe raptors in flight, by using abrupt weather changes!