Outdoor Ontario

Photography => Ontario Birds => Topic started by: mike on April 17, 2009, 03:58:00 PM

Title: Northern Goshawk
Post by: mike on April 17, 2009, 03:58:00 PM: My very first sighting and by accident I stumbled into its nest area also locating the nest. I literally had to dive to the forest floor a couple times as it dive bombed me just missing my head by about a foot. I left quickly after that. Edit: I'd like to know if this is a rare sighting. If someone could please let me know I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/mrmike1111/_MG_5703-1.jpg)

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/mrmike1111/_MG_5706-1.jpg)

Just before I also took a dive :o

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/mrmike1111/_MG_5707-1.jpg)

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/mrmike1111/_MG_5709-1.jpg)
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Post by: Niloc on April 17, 2009, 04:01:41 PM: Awsome capture, now you have to figure out how to sneek up on it without disturbing it of course for more pics lol!
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Post by: Kin Lau on April 17, 2009, 04:21:10 PM: The chances of sneaking up on one are zero to none. They're territorial, and have better eyesight and hearing than we do.

Very cool pictures btw.
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Post by: Niloc on April 17, 2009, 04:23:17 PM: Correct Kin, not so much sneak up but more observation to catch a pose on a tree or something, I would have been terrified of the Hawk diving at me I remember a bunch of Red Winged Blackbirds nesting last year in High Park they started diving almost gettin me in the head I ran like a little kid lol, funny thing is I was not even taking their picture...
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Post by: mike on April 17, 2009, 04:25:11 PM: Thanks for the comments. I'll stay away for now but will go back for hopefully some more shots. Definitely the most aggressive bird I've ever run into. If I hadn't hit the floor a couple times I'm sure I'd be tending to some nasty injuries. I had a hard time getting away!
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Post by: Bird Brain on April 17, 2009, 05:20:54 PM: Mike ... Cripes, I won't complain about Red-winged Blackbirds pecking my head anymore after seeing your third photo! :shock: I'd be hitting the ground too if I saw that coming at me!

Great shots btw.

Jo-Anne :)
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Post by: silverfoxx on April 18, 2009, 09:36:07 AM: is the bird in the first photo the same one?
I don't understand why it appears to be solid grey - doesn't look like a matter of lighting or exposure
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Post by: mike on April 18, 2009, 11:38:25 AM: I believe it's the same bird. I only saw one unless they pulled a switch on me. I believe it's just the lighting. The shots were taken between 3:15 and 3:30 in the afternoon.

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/mrmike1111/_MG_5697-1.jpg)

(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/mrmike1111/_MG_5704-1.jpg)
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Post by: Anonymous on April 19, 2009, 12:16:48 AM: Nice captures.

Not a rare sighting - just a rarely photographed bird as it usually inhabits areas which are usually considered unreachable such as marshes and thick forests.

Glad you remembered to duck - never fun to get hit by a bird.
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Post by: mike on April 19, 2009, 10:52:47 PM: silverfoxx the more I look at it the more I think you're right. I believe that it's both male and female. :o
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Post by: Pat Hodgson on April 20, 2009, 11:23:58 AM: I have been at a goshawk nest site before, and at the time it seemed apparent that one bird would make itself loud and obvious while the other came silently at the back of your head. These guys will hit hard and draw blood.

Goshawks are nowhere common because they have large territories, so you won't find many in one spot. The nests are hard to find, usually, although when you do they raise a ruckus and you know you're at one.
Check out where they were found during the atlas: http://www.birdsontario.org/atlas/maps.jsp?lang=en (go there and select northern goshawk from drop-down list)
The blank spaces in between squares with sightings are more likely due to lack of detection than lack of habitat in many cases.

Hopefully I won't draw flak for this, but I would like to suggest that you NOT disclose the nest location in order to allow the birds to nest successfully without human intrusion. These birds give a dramatic reaction to humans near the nest, IMHO there simply is no way to observe or photograph them near the nest without significant disturbance. But you could give us a general area so we can assess the rarity - such as what city or township it is in.
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Post by: mike on April 20, 2009, 03:14:12 PM: Thanks for that info Pat. As far as I know, I'm the only one who knows the location at this point. I will not be giving away the location. I've done this one time before with a mating pair of Pileated and when I went back to check on them, the nest had been abandoned. I won't be doing that again. The nest is roughly a half hour north of Toronto. That's all the info I'm giving out location wise. I'm waiting until the chicks are hatched before I attempt any more footage so as not to disturb them. On another note, I did get a phone call yesterday telling me that there are nesting Bald Eagles at Wilkes Dam in Brantford right now. They've cordoned off the parking area so as to give them space from what I'm told. I'll be making a trip out there shortly.
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Post by: Pat Hodgson on April 20, 2009, 03:35:58 PM: Good for you, Mike.

As you can see, they were pretty well-detected through much of the OR Moraine during the atlas.

Also, this one is particularly fluffy underneath! Cool pics.
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Post by: Niloc on April 20, 2009, 07:59:05 PM: Way to go Pat and Mike, I think the thrill of stumbling on an amazing find is great but to give out the location is a bit risky as stated, as an avid nature photographer I totally agree and applaud the both of you!