On Gary Bletsch, Dennis Paulson, Charles Wright

Gary Bletsch, Dennis Paulson, and Charles Wright are topnotch birders from the state of Washington, but they are not hawkwatchers, therefor they do not understand the Northern goshawk. They know ONLY how to identify the goshawk in the hand or at very close range. Therefor their publications , thoughts, and teaching are flawed.

Two goshawks

Oct 1, 2013 2:45 PM Anacortes, Wa. near Mt. Erie Elementary School

2 Goshawks (individual sightings) The first sighting was of a male goshawk.  The hawk was fresh, in hunting mode, ripping through the sky and dropping near tree tops and flying away, observed about 30 seconds.  Within 2 minutes  a female Northern Goshawk lifted to be with a soaring turkey vulture.  Observation time was about 2 minutes.  I went to this grassy walkway up against the forest expecting to observe goshawks and in this precise area of the sky.

Anacortes Male NG

Sept. 24 Saint Mary's Church Anacortes  4:15 P.M
1 male NG circling over and over again at about 200 feet elevation. Observation time 3 minutes. This hawk was not in migration. The body wing combo was stocky , not lanky. the wing beats were very rapid , very flexible, and very deep.

Goshawks are back

Sept 1- 10:45 a.m.  Near Saint Mary's Church- Anacortes, WA
1 NG circling over and over again at about 200 feet elevation. this hawk was probably female since the wings were too long for a male. The sighting was naked eye.
 Actually this is a resident goshawk as they have now finished their nesting and branching functions.
Yet i have never observed a NG nest and have never observed any limbers in this area. having only observed limbers in suburbs of Williamsport , PA.

Nesting Bank Swallows and nesting Kingfisher

5 June and 4 June- Near downtown Anacortes- Cap Sante Lookout cliff-side.
I observed Bank Swallows and Kingfisher entering nesting holes on the cliff-side. A better area to observe 5 species of swallows is the near-by water treatment pond.

Jerry Liguori- expert hawker

I reported to www.jerryliguori.blogspot.com of my sighting of a black, or black-type Harrier at San Diego, and a fully mature female Cooper's Hawk with an all black head. And tips on accipiter identification.

One Goshawk- Mt. Erie School

7 May  9:15 a.m. Mt. School
1 NG probably male, since the wings were not long. The tail was very long. The hawk was at about 150 feet elevation, and observed broadside for about 1,000 yards. The breeze was cold and damp, with a heavy marine layer. The hawk was probably coming from downtown Anacortes.