[birding] Valley bottom Goshawk

[M & R Campbell]

I found a juvenile Goshawk at Snag Boat Bend (in Linn County) today.  When it flushed out of a dense stand of cottonwoods it showed a heavily barred tail and a "checked" pattern on the underwing, so, given it's buteo-like size, I first thought it was a pale, juvenile Red-shouldered hawk.  But when I relocated it, perched, it showed a long tail with paler, less-contrasting, narrower bands, and a light terminal band, like the tail of a Cooper's, though it was much too big, and the pale patches on its broad, brown back made me think of a Red-tail Hawk.  After it made another short, somewhat sluggish, buteo-like flight to a different perch, I got a view of pale supercillium and heavy, vertical streaks on the breast and belly.  Since I first saw it about 15 feet above the shore line, I'd say this bird was about 245 feet above sea level.

If I remember right, a few weeks ago someone posted a sighting of a Goshawk on the valley floor.  If I remember right, I scoffed at the report--inwardly, at least.  I now pass this on to you so that you, too, may have the pleasure.


Randy Campbell

Peoria


Every bird mentioned in this post was identified, or misidentified, without the direct aid of fossil fuels--or electricity--or tobacco, alcohol, licit or illicit drugs, state highway funds, TARP loans, or federal stimulus dollars. 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.midvalleybirding.org/pipermail/birding/attachments/20091024/055c7bf0/attachment.html