I am thinking Sharpies

 Check out Whatbird.com or forums.whatbird.com — posted Sept.11 2020. Are all These Cooper’s? By Aaron. 7 photos. I say all of them are Sharpies. The “expert” who is affiliated with the web site says— The first is a Sharpie, the rest Coops. The main reason I say Sharpie is that the hawks are all chunky. Some off the photos may be of the same bird. I will present more of what I think is an inaccurate call on this whatbird.com website. NB.

My Question to you

 My question to you is the same question to yourself. The word was to keep the bedroom doors closed. Then the comment,” Why did you open the bedroom door to go into the bedroom”. You have answered your question.

If there is a perched raptor in your yard and then it takes flight and you come to me with your description of the hawk wanting to know the type of hawk, I will ask you— Did the hawk have a long tail. If you say, “ I don’t know”, then you have answered your own question. The answer is — No. Possibly 90% of raptors observed are not heading directly only/just away either head-on or tail on. You might say that your were observing the head or the wings or the chest and belly. It does not matter. If the tail was long you would have noticed it. But, to get into another phase of hawking, tail length is not going to give you the species. In fact, the bird does not have to show/have any tail in order to name the family or the species. So, as I have published, Tails do not Nail. To call a species of accipiter it is critical to know wing beats, wing shape and proportions and wing holdings. NB.

Definition of a Cooper’s Hawk

A Cooper’s Hawk in flight— is always looking for place to perch or a place to hide. Therefore, if there are tall, thick trees, the hawk will always be looking for a landing spot. This is similar to the strategy of a glider pilot. The glider pilot is always aware of the direction and the velocity of the wind. And is always aware of the terrain. Should the wind fail, where will I put down? In other words, the Cooper’s Hawk is always looking for a place to put down. The hawk does not have an affinity for the sky. NB. 

Goshawk Skagit Regional Airport

 Sunday Sept.6. One  NG far away rising over the tree tops and circling to about 150 feet altitude. I observe for about 2 minutes as the hawk went further away and possibly went to perch beyond the tree line. I did not raise the camera, naked eye. Three Red-tailed Hawks and a Turkey Vulture were also Previously there, all over the skies. At Breazeale Center, a Sharpie ripped through at about 100 feet altitude. Nearby, 2 Ravens were right tight on the tail of a Red-tailed Hawk, ripping in and out of a tree. Bright sun and 70 degrees. NB.

It is Goshawk time

Female NG observed from bedroom window. The hawk was circling at about 200 feet altitude. Observed for about 30 seconds. Location: Near Saint Mary’s Church, Anacortes.

The goshawks have returned. Now, it is very possible to observe doubles. Actually, the hawks have been nesting near-by, and have been in seclusion in the forest. Understand— I have never observed a goshawk nest. Very seldom do I enter a forest. NB. 

About accipiters

This is about a very interesting and informative article. “ The identification of North American Accipiters”. Seventy- man years of watching and trapping: How to, and how not to, identify accipiters— Helmut Mueller, Daniel Berger, and George Allez.

This you will not find in the article: Wing shape, wing holding, and wing movement. In other words, the article is about a dead specimen or an inactive bird.

The authors do write of wing speed compared to wing length and wing structure. I say— wing speed can depend on many factors, however wing speed is only a small part of wing action. This article will open the eyes of many birders. However, this article is not about hawk watching. NB.

Goshawks Houston and Tyler

In the fall or early winter of 2009, we arrived in Tyler,TX for the first and only time. We had some very nice weather. The rv park was outside of the suburbs. The rv park was west of town and was set back from the road with acres of pasture in the front and woods to the rear. There was one long blacktop leading into the park. Every day I would walk and hawk watch from the rv road. I’m sure this is good hunting area of wild hog and deer. I had some sighting of NG in flight. The NG were all in flight and not in migration. Sometime I would take my bike to the Tyler Airport, which was to the west. It was open country of pasture and wood lots. I did observe NG sightings— two or three. On a straight line toward the east was were the countryside gave way to houses and industry. At the laundry was a NG in the sky. Nearby was a Wall Mart, with a mature Bald Eagle at about 500 feet altitude. I had two more sightings in Tyler in areas of houses and buildings. The hawks were in the sky, far away.

Possibly the most unusual sighting and from the rv park was of a Russian MIG fighter plane at low altitude and with afterburners. I looked up the model number on the internet. Then I went to the airport, to the aviation museum. This is where the MIG is stored. The owner- pilot flys the plane at air shows.

We departed Tyler to go to Kehma, for our first and only time. The rv park was on a small lagoon and was near the Wall Mart and near the community of Clear Lake. Often I would hawk watch from Wall Mart and areas near the rv park. NG, resident hawks, were observed, all in flight and in the sky. Some of the hawks had some red on the chest. I could not tell of the under wings. We traveled the area for many miles. I have reported on this already, but, near the Houston Cruise Line Terminal was a female NG in flight. Also, at town of Bacliff was female NG soaring. At Seabrook was NG soaring. I have already reported sighting two different NG soaring at Galveston, within 2 hours. Our first and only trip there. The weather was so poor that we gave-up our time to be spent in Rockport and in Austin, to be our first time there. So we made a beeline for Benson, AZ. But we stopped in Georgetown, TX for one week. The weather was poor half the time. At Jon Berry Preserve was female NG in flight. This was a “Red NG.”

So here is my big question, to myself. Where are the NG from Coastal Bend Texas and East Texas coming from? Are they coming from northern Alabama, or Northern Mississippi, or even Northern Georgia? Are NG nesting in the Ozark Mountains. I think they could be. Notice that I leave out Louisiana. I don’t have a feel for Louisiana, only passed through the middle once and twice went through the lower part. Is it possible that NG are nesting in the swampy forest of the Cajun state? I believe it is certainly possible.

The thought: Foghorn String Band. NB.