Goshawks of Whidbey Island

It is now nearing Christmas of 2020. From my reading— Northern Goshawks are a rare species on Whidbey Island. My reading might be interpreted as, Goshawks are a rare winter visitor to Whidbey Island.

It was in the springtime of 1999 when I first started living on North Whidbey Island, Deception Pass. From the get-go, I realized that NG were a common species on North Whidbey Island.

Whidbey Island is the largest island in the United States. It is long and thin. I say there are only three towns, Oak Harbor, Coupeville, and Freeland. Oak Harbor contains NAS, which is a number of squadrons of aircraft fighter jets, which is backed up by navy intelligence aircraft. A little more about this later.

I would live at Deception Pass for six years. I would live there during spring and summer and then head south for the fall and winter. I did spend one winter there. So, it was spring, summer, fall, winter, spring, and summer. I often, weekly, spent time in Anacortes. It was then that I realized, Goshawks were a common species in Anacortes. I realized that I had to be observing two sets of NG. But that is another story.

I am certain that NG are breeding on North Whidbey Island. You may think that the nearly daily noise of the fighter jets with their afterburners would drive the raptors away, but it doesn’t. The jets are practicing their their landings on aircraft carrier simulations. They are using the airfield to simulate a carrier deck. Sometimes at night. The noise can be unbearable.

Only twice have I travelled to the southern part of the island. Possibly once a year on average will I go to the central area. I say that there are not enough birders to cover the area of the island. I contend there is not one hawk watcher on the island. Even though there are 15 birding hot spots and many birding groups visit the island, this not enough to cover the island. But, of course I am not a statistician or an ornithologist.

Here are my remarkable sightings for the island. I pulled into the Sleeper Road dead end. There are some old growth trees in there. Two raptors were flying over my car. I jumped out of the car with camera and photographed two female NG flying wingtip to wingtip. I took a single shot of one and another shot— of the same hawk? Don’t know.

Triple NG at Deception Pass. Male and female were in the sky away from my position and flying farther away. Below them and behind was a male NG. That male caught up with the other two. There was a message exchanged. Then the male took off in another direction.

At the Pass- in a clearing in the forest and below tree tops was a male NG carrying prey. It crossed the clearing and then was met and held up by three crows. The NG was confused or scared and circled back around the clearing in a circle or two. Then BOOM!, a female NG entered the clearing and nearly busted into all three crows. The crows fled. The the male NG came face to face with the female NG. A message was exchanged. The female turned around and went back into the forest. Now the male was confused and started retreating and circling around the clearing. Then it made a dash into the forest, the way the female went, the initial way the male was heading. If this is not an indication of breeding Goshawks, and the nest might be within 400 yards of the clearing, then what is.

Because triple goshawks are observed, it does not necessarily indicate that NG are nesting in the area. It depends on the location. In other words, NG from disparate areas can gather in a wintering area. I would think this has the potential the spread the gene pool.

Recently, I went to birding hotspot, South Whidbey for the first time. I observed a female NG in flight three times and perched three times. Also, a male NG in flight which went into trees. Then male and female NG were deep into the sky. I received a email from a resident birder... that said, NG have never been recognized in the area.

All of my NG sightings are on North Whidbey Island, except for a female in flight in Green Bank, which is central on the island. And the recent sighting, just mentioned.

To wrap it up. Male NG were observed, all in flight but not in migration. Female NG were observed. Male and female were observed together. Triples were observed once. Very seldom have I observed a NG perched. I have observed some NG going to perch far away. I do not recall ever observing observing a Sharp- shinned hawk. And just a very few Cooper’s hawks. I have observed very few rare birds. I do not chase birds— been there, done that once. While standing in the Wall- mart parking lot in Oak Harbor, two raptors were heading toward my position, flying in tandem, at about 150 feet altitude. They came through and past my position, heading north in late spring. They appeared to be Gyr Falcons. There was one 
other rare bird sighting, that was so rare, I would not write it my field notes. I informed only one or two birders, years later. It must have been in August or September, 2001– a Whooping Crane flying over North Whidbey— flying eastward. NB.
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