Saturday 19 March 2011

Goshawk

19th March 2011 a perfect date to see displaying Goshawk in Lancashire and a trip to a well
known site in search of these magnificent birds was fruitful, well, kind of...

These birds are never easy to see and so a visit to a potential breeding site to watch for
their display flight in spring, stands to be the best way to see them. At the site in question
i watched one bird at just after 10am for around two minutes as it soared over a hillside
before a half-hearted attempt at "sky-dancing". Another sighting shortly afterwards and
that was it for the day!

Fortunately, the local Sparrowhawks were a little more obliging and i watched two seperate
birds dispalying at 09.45 and 10.15. Also seen raptor wise, was Peregrine (three sightings)
Buzzard (many) and Kestrel. A singing Chiffchaff on the walk back to the car was the first
of the year.


My first images of Goshawk in Lancashire, lot's
of room for improvement! The above shot shows
the heavy bodied appearance as it comes "head-on"

These images were taken at a range of 1km

Gos'

Plummeting into the conifer plantation. At a
distance Goshawk tends to look much paler
than Sparrowhawk.

Red Grouse


Burning the old heather.

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