Goshawk in the Peak District Update

I last commented on the status of the Northern Goshawk in the Peak District in January 2016 referring to the 2014 Derbyshire Bird Report which reported 10 pairs in the Peak District. Four years later and the Derbyshire Bird Report for 2018 reported 27 pairs in Derbyshire commenting that they are mainly in the Peak District so it appears that the Goshawk is doing well in the Peak District a trend which is mirrored in the UK where the national population is now estimated at around 620 pairs (up from around 420 pairs estimated in 2013).
From my own observation I would agree that there has probably been a small increase in pairs in the areas that I watch but the success of breeding pairs appears to vary significantly from year to year and this winter for example I have seen very few juvenile birds which implies that the 2019 breeding season was not particularly good.
The best time to observe them is from January to the end of March when both sexes may be seen displaying. The past week finally produced some blue skies and I managed to photograph a selection of birds.

Goshawk 2nd calendar year juvenile

Goshawk adult male

Goshawk adult male displaying

Goshawk immature male, probably 4 years old

Goshawk female at least 4 years old

If your interested in Goshawk identification I've updated my blog post on the subject here