Excuse- more on tails

On my essay; Tails do not Nail — I did not complete the whole story. There is such a tail as a Goshawk tail. On certain Sharp- shinned hawks (SSHA), those hawks can have a Goshawk tail. Which means, Cooper’s hawks (COHA) will not have the Goshawk tail. This post is linked to the next post, coming up; What is Lanky.

In order to understand the Goshawk tail; The hawk should be in flight, near overhead, and the tail must be completely folded. Meaning; The side edges of the tail are parallel. If the tail is fanned slightly, then the base of the tail will appear “pinched.” Now your reading will be compromised. 

Now, on perched raptors, perched on an open snag, or perched on a wall. You want to observe the tail from the rear. In other words, the tail is hidden behind the wall. The most important aspect is to view the folded tail— straight on or right in line with the tail. Then if the tail— the base of the tail is very broad, compared to the body of the hawk, then that is a Goshawk tail!

The tail of the COHA is thin compared to the body of the COHA! Note: You can only get a good feel for the width of the folded tail when the the hawk is straight on your line of sight. When the hawk is perched on an open snag, you probably do not have to maneuver to the rear of the hawk.

However, in winter, perched accipiters can appear very puffed out while perched, so now the tail can appear very thin. The tail can now appear very short. Also, that particular accipiter can have a shortened tail.

So, this concept has a lot of value. It is concrete information. NB.

I held back

Often it is best to be discreet. Be discreet when you first meet.

I was in the field when I bumped into a gentleman, who said he was the Director of Washington State Parks. He said he was visiting the islands of San Juan, and his biologist(s) informed him or showed him— the San Juan Islands are loaded with Cooper’s hawks and Sharp- shinned hawks.

What I did not say: Where you find Cooper’s hawks and Sharp- shinned hawks and Red-tailed hawks and a raven or two or many ravens— then you will nearly always find Northern Goshawks! NB.

Grand Canyon Goshawks

We arrived at Grand Canyon, RV Park, business district one week before the season’s closing. The sun was low toward setting. A immature, female NG was flying over my position as I was strolling through and around the buildings. This raptor had dark, extensive streaking with a patina of golden bronze. On another day, I went to an area about three miles from the HQ. Standing on the rim scanning, slightly below the rim were two NG circling. One hawk tilted to turn and displayed a chest and upper belly of red- orange. The area appeared to be solid, with a flame tipped design, with the flame tips pointing toward the belly. On another day, in another area, while scanning top- side and slightly below the rim were two NG circling.

Then I read that HWI was having a survey of  hawks in migration and the public was invited. When I got to the flat rim and was greeted by the intern and told we were not to go near the rim, because in defile were the hawk counters and were not to be disturbed. I had the superior position, as I could observe everything that was behind the hawk counters. But, of course they could observe everything that was below their position. A female NG was heading for our position. I alerted the hawk watchers—  Goshawk Coming. The large accipiter came near our position at about 100 feet above us. Then the hawk went out over and past the rim for all to witness. Then I shouted— Female Goshawk!

There was some movement of a large hat just below the rim. Then a body started to developed and a man stood top- side and yelled— I’m calling it a Cooper’s hawk —That hawk did not have pointed wing tips. Possibly he yelled at me because of a light breeze, or because of the distance between us.

Here is the gist of the situation— the large accipiter came through slowly, the wing beats were relaxed and not rapid, rather lose and lazy. Under these conditions a Goshawk does not have to show pointed wing tips! Also, a Cooper’s hawk does not fly with lazy, relaxed wing beats.

The intern asked— What made that bird a goshawk? I said “ Everything about that bird said— “Goshawk.” The intern commented that she tried to observe the vermiculation on the chest of the hawk. I said “How do you expect to observe the vermiculation when you are looking into the sun?”

So, within seven days— four daily sightings of NG at Grand Canyon. NB.

Best tip

Here is my best tip. My best tips should be rated: Number One through Three.

Often when you are outside or even inside looking out, you will be caught. You will be caught without your binoculars: While walking the dog; talking to you neighbor, observing a soccer game, going to the mail box, driving you car, being a passenger in a car, or airplane or train. So, practice going naked-eye. Practice going naked-eye at the same time you are in the field with binoculars. 

Very seldom do I now carry binoculars. My binoculars are always in my car nestled on the door. I now carry a camera. I am always trying to photograph NG, in order to prove to you that NG are a common species; in many areas of the United States.

I will say it again— most of the time you will be caught; in conjunction with— if you can resolve it you can solve it. NB.

Big question

When you hang clothes out on a line; Do you you hang the clothes in the sky or in the air? On a nice day, when you put the American flag out; Do you you put the flag in the air or in the sky?

The purpose of the first two sentences is to get you to think.
Do you know the difference between the air and the sky?Do you understand the big difference between a Cooper’s hawk and a Sharp- shinned hawk; or a goshawk?

Where does the air end and the sky start? Is there a variable section separating the air from the sky? If you do not know the air from the sky, possibly the Cooper’s hawk can help you make a decision. NB.

Goshawks Anacortes Part 2

I will not go into any of my many sightings of NG in Anacortes. If it is boring to me it is probably boring to you. The only rare sightings in Anacortes— red male and female NG. That is NG with red vermiculation of chest, belly and under wing coverts. Also, a Clay-colored sparrow. The bird was at my feet, pecking at gravel and small weeds.
Anacortes is a small town with a large, land area; Including two marinas, and probably the largest community forest in the United States. 

The NG I have observed are not in migration. I am sure NG are nesting in Anacortes. I have observed them in all areas of the town limits and just outside the town limits. Nearly always in flight.

This information may help you. East of Anacortes is Mount Vernon and Burlington. I have never observed a NG in the sky over these two towns or areas. I have a feeling: If NG are nesting in the mountains of Blanchard and Alger, which is well east of Anacortes and North of Burlington, and they probably are nesting in these mountains; The goshawks of Blanchard Mountain, might drop down into the Bay View area to meet with the NG of Anacortes. This will facilitate the diversity of the gene pool. But, I only have one indication of  one NG coming over the ridge line of Anacortes and heading over Fidalgo Bay. The next bay over is Padilla Bay. Then you run into the western side of Bay View. So, the question is ; Where are the goshawks of Bay View (male and female) coming from?

I received one e-mail from a resident of Anacortes, suggesting that NG are not a rare species in Anacortes. NB.

Goshawks of Anacortes - part 1

When I first arrived on Puget Sound, I realized that NG were a common species in Anacortes and North Whidbey Island. That was in year 1999. This posting will include sightings from other areas, not to include Whidbey Island and Anacortes.


Firstly, NG in areas other than Anacortes and Whidbey Island.


In Bellingham: A male ripping through on Holly Street. In LaConner: Female from the sky, dropping into Shelter Bay. On another year— female dropping into Shelter Bay. In winter, a mature male in the sky. In Shelter Bay, late August, 2019, immature, female perched. Out of the truck I went with camera. Hawk went away from my position. Location: Enter Shelter Bay, LaConner. The first road to the right will dead- end at a container yard (rv. storage yard.)

Conway—female, immature, chased by 3 crows. Over Seattle. South of Tacoma, soaring over a field. Orcas Island. Lopez Island— mature female, over Paul Allen Estate. In the sky over Torrington. Male    NG circling low over Yakima River. With Skagit Audubon— Rasar State Park— in a light mist, female spiraling up out of trees. Ten seconds later, another female, spiraling upward; At Iverson Spit— male deep in sky, displaying; Port Susan Preserve— immature female dropping toward ground,  behind the dike. Padilla Bay Interpretive Center— mature female cutting through, one photo. Then ten days later, male cutting through, at same altitude, same direction. Bay View, Josh Wilson Road, female soaring; On another year, mature female soaring. Five daily sightings at Skagit Regional Airport. On D’Arcy Road, facing the Bay View ridge- line in winter — NG soaring. This area— Bay View is a large area— could be called a hot- spot for NG.

For six years I lived just outside the limits of Anacortes, at Pioneer Trails RV Park. Somewhat between Anacortes and Deception Pass. Often, I would drop off the ridge line to bird and hawk on Similk Bay. Only one sighting of NG; a red female at about 200 feet altitude cutting through. Many NG sightings on Gibraltar Road and in the sky near the RV park— also called Scimitar Ridge. NB.