goshawk
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Where: near Morey Pond
When: Jun 27, 2003 05:30 am
I was walking on the trail that goes around Morey Pond. About 500 feet along, I heard, far off in the woods, what sounded like a sapsucker. I turned to investigate further, and shortly after, a large hawk flew over me and alighted in a tree near the water. At first from its loud cries I thought it was a Cooper's, and decided to leave the area quickly, as two years ago I'd been dive-bombed by a Cooper's in that area. But first I looked at it through my binoculars. In a few seconds I'd figured out what it was. A goshawk is large, dark grey on back and light grey in front, with a dark brow over a white line above a red eye. This bird had all those marks. Its alarm calls were louder and deeper than the Cooper's. Then the bird flew across the pond, circled back and stayed near me. Meanwhile I heard its mate, sounding the same cries deep in the woods. I decided definitely not to try to find her and her nest, and retraced my steps back to the road, up the hill and out of there. But here it gets even more interesting. The goshawk followed me, flying from one tree to another, sometimes behind me and sometimes ahead, for a quarter mile, until I reached a bend in the road where there is an clear-cut area and a stand of tall pines. There it stopped. That I guess, was the edge of its territory. It seemed to be seeing me out of its premises. It was not at all shy, and very determined that my presence was not tolerable. I stopped and had two or three more looks at it as I was retreating; big, with short wings and long tail, it was almost as large as a red-tail but with different proportions. It had large, fluffy white feathers along its legs. A spectacular, charismatic bird. I felt thrilled, awed and a little scared.
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