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Northern Goshawk



Dear CarolinaBirders,
   Susan and I have just completed a three day trip through the Outer Banks,
the Pocosin Lakes region and Lake Mattamuskeet.  We saw many, many birds,
most that would be expected.  Several  special observations can be made for
the files:
--Saw our first Horned Grebe and Purple Sandpiper for this fall at Cedar
Island Ferry Terminal on Fri 11/9.
--Saw four Eared Grebes at the Salt Pond, Cape Hatteras point on 11/9.
--Saw the Tropical Kingbird for the second time at South Pond on 11/9.
--The PRIZE sighting was an adult Northern Goshawk, seen from a back road on
the boundary between Pocosin Lakes NWR and Tyson Farms in Hyde County.  The
bird flew out of the deep woods, passed in front of our jeep within 6 feet
of us, about 6 feet off the ground and glided(mostly) down the woods line
for over 100 yards before entering the woods again.  Most of this glide( a
few flap-flaps) was 4 to 6 feet off the ground.  Aside from close-up side
view as the bird went by, most of our viewing was from behind the bird as he
glided.
Marks Noted:
-blue-gray head(almost black), upper wings, body and tail.
-some two toned effect with the trailing side of upper wings being darker
and some evidence of tail bands(darker)
-stocky body with tail width about the same width of body
-chest and belly were grayish....actually lightly barred dark on white
giving a gray appearance
-undertail coverts were very white
-forward edge of wings fairly straight
-trailing edge of wings broad at the secondaries and narrowing at primaries
-the bird was large and somewhat chunky..about the size of a Red-Tailed Hawk
-legs were yellow
-we weren't fast enough to see the face, but the above marks noted show it
to be a Northern Goshawk.
Happy Birding,
Rich and Susan Boyd
sarrington@coastalnet.com