Goshawk?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

 

 

I watched this bird for some minutes. 'She' was flying around over the fields and perched in three trees, giving me a notion of her range. When she, again, landed in this Ash tree closest to me, I whacked up the zoom and went for it. It's the best I could do and, despite then waiting to get her on film, it never worked out - yet!

 

I'm a very lapsed Birder but know enough to have caught she was a female Sparrow Hawk or a juv / female Gos. Her flight - now that I've checked the book - seemed to suggest the latter.

 

Is it possible for any of you lads to crack it, from that shot, please? Or, taking it from another angle; Would either of the above now be at least the size of a female Sparrow Hawk and yet accepting what I'd swear was a grown rat from another one, in mid air. The what ever it was was then eaten in a tree. Not taken to any youngtsers.

 

I'm guessing it was a juv Gos or adult female Sparrow. But would a female Sparrow be getting fed by her mate at this time?

 

Sorry so many questions. Trying to convey everything you may need. And, yes: I'll get out and about with the bin's and try to get her tail shape, flight and anything else I can

[hawkanddog 0]

My thoughts are, the bird was flying around the fields, goshawks are quite secretive. You usually, if lucky, catch a glimse of a disappearing gos.

 

Size wise, the male gos is much bigger than a female sparrow hawk.

 

When a Gos moves into an area the first thing that disappears is the sparrow hawks they get eaten.

 

In my opinion its a female sparrow hawk............... But try and get a better photo, could be wrong

 

 

 

Mind saying that, it does look quite big in the photo...

Edited July 30, 2006 by hawkanddog

[jasper65 6]

I'm in agreement with the other lads .

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Damn! I'm losing my Gos' here, aren't I? Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger! And I'd So like it to have been one. Facts being that, in all my active Birding career, I never did once connect with a varifiable Gos'. Simply never seen one before in my life. Then, to cap that, they're not 'officlally' recorded as even nesting in Leitrim. But this is a big county and sparsley populated. There's probably a lot which only residents like myself may get to notice.

 

Just to mention - and, don't worry; I had no pen and paper on me and I Know memories since the event are worse than outright assumptions after the fact, but: The bird seemed almost 'Lost'. It flew to a tree, calling that 'Begging' call. Then flew way off to another tree. Then to one 'just round the corner' from me, but blocked to my sight. That's when the adult appeared on the horizon / tree tops. My bird flew to it and the exchange took place. Adult then moved off 'sideways' from my position and quite a way off.

 

It was when she came round to that tree nearest me (yet hidden) that I caught a good view of her under tail feathers. Sparrow / Gos. 100%. That was my confirmation that this wasn't a Harrier.

 

And that's the other thing I want to get off my chest here; This bird was so f***ing big I was first convinced I must be watching a Harrier. I've been extremely close to those and know their size. The lack of undulation in those long, sweeping flights from tree to far off tree did little to convince me this wasn't a Harrier. I just couldn't make out the undercarriage markings at any point. Just not close enough for my old eyes and that tail was a lucky glimpse.

 

Anyway, you're all more experienced with Goshawks than me. You're probably right But, damn; I've got nothing special planned for tomorrow and I plan to camp out in those fields - with my binoculars and camera! IF there's the remotest chance that this was a juv Gos? I know I'll need film to convince anyone.

 

If it were just a female, adult Sparrow; Why didn't she just f*** off and catch her own meal? Is this 'lost' and begging behaviour normal, for them at this time of year? Or would a juv female be so big and still on the scrounge?

 

Come on! Can you blame me for wishing?!

[hawkanddog 0]

A juvenile female being fed by the musket sounds like what you've seen,

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Little epilogue to this one, lads: Now that I pause to think about it; She seems to be gone now. Left a couple of days ago. Or at least I then stopped hearing that plaintive call. I have a snare down that end so go there every day.

 

However, before their departure and since last coming here, good to my own word I did take my old birding binoculars on a couple of occassions. And I was rewarded with a Definate make that, I believe has finally led me to the true identity of our feathered killers.

 

As one or another of them, the parent or the juvenile - I don't know - banked past me, with a solid back drop of close by trees, I managed to lock onto an eye catching buff ventral patch above that brown barred tail

 

Hobby ?

Edited August 11, 2006 by Ditch_Shitter

[SeanTheHawker 0]

dont think theres any wild goses in ireland now mate, the odd escaped one maybe, butwould be rare to see

[hawkanddog 0]

Ditchshitter, stick to the sparrowhawk, unless you get a better shot, a hobby is way smaller than your "gos"

different shape to the wing etc....... stick to the sparrowhawk theory

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

I would have to agree with p&g about the hobby there tiny !