A Tactic

 I will be spending more time at Skagit Regional Airport, which is nine miles away, to hawk for Goshawks. NG are not rare in this area. Generally, I mostly go there on Sunday. Usually there are one- hundred or more logging trucks in this area through Saturday, daily! The parking lot is at the intersection of Ovenell Road and Higgins Airport Way. I will walk the road to the highway, and concentrate on the sky, yet well aware of the logging trucks. Then, I will go to a more peaceful area, about two miles away on 536 WSU at Mount Vernon, Research and EXT. The time spent at the airport over many years has not amounted to many visits. Usually four visits per year and very seldom in summer. But, with enough sightings of NG, that I will ask myself again, Where are these NG coming from?NB.

Goshawks— one-off sightings

 Or one-er sightings. Definition: As we went a- traveling for 13 years, money-wise it was best to stop by the month or more or by the week. To get to where we were going and usually spend four months there, we often spent one night at an RV park. So here are my drive by sightings or sighting in areas where we spent only one week or less, which indicates to me how common are NG. All of these sightings are of NG in flight but not in migration. In other words, resident raptors.  I did not say resident nesters, of course.

Towson, MD, called the suburbs of Baltimore, about 20 miles away. A female NG, imm. The raptor may have just left its perch. It was away from my position and going farther away. The next  day the same location, same altitude, same time frame, same flight direction, was a imm.female NG. I alerted the authorities. They said they would begin a search for a nest.

Carthage, MO. Very near down town a female NG soaring. The next day, in suburbs, female NG soaring.

Thackersville, OK. The largest cock- fighting hatchery in the U.S. A NG ripping along the buildings at about 20 feet altitude.

Livingston, TX. Near the Louisiana border. My first NG in Texas. Georgetown, 40 miles from Austin, my last NG sighting in Texas. Galveston, two different NG, my first and only time time there. We drove around for an hour or so.

New Mexico— Albuquerque. We were there for a week. Two daily sighting of a female NG circling over the highway. Demming — NG circling over the town.

Colorado. Near Cortes at the Indian Ruins. A male NG ripping through. I contacted the authority and was told— We Don’t Care to Post Sightings of NG, for the fear of falconers finding the nest.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Utah. A mature NG cutting through, because of the altitude of the hawk and the speed and direction, I think this NG was in migration.

South Rim of Grand Canyon. Four sightings within seven days. Two  of those days, a sighting of doubles.

Junction City Kansas, away from town. One sighting.

Oregon— Albany. A imm. Male at close range. On another year, imm. Male at close range. 

California— in the hills just over the rv park, a NG came ripping through. I went to the club house   to find on a clip board the birds observed at the rv park. NG was not on the list. Below Coursegold is the small village of Hazelhurst. One female NG was soaring. Red Bluff— over the highway near the town. Bakersfield— we were there at least four times. At least twice for a week. Three or four yearly sightings. This location is just off the highway east of town on Edison Road. Orange Tree ( or Blossom ) RV Park.

Washington State. Over Seattle’s Highway. Tacoma— south of Tacoma. Two more areas— over the Yakima River. And outside of Torrington.

Near the Bill Williams NWR, Ariz. on the Colorado River. Thirteen sightings of NG most of them as the hawk was perched on wire at the golf course RV park. Thirteen sightings within thirty days.

Here is one area where I have struck- out. Needles. Been there at least 4 times. Two times or so for a week. The area is west of Needles.

The best suggestion I can give you is, get to an official hawk watch site in the fall. And stick with the subject. The best to all — . NB.

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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.