Juvenile Goshawk

 A nice surprise yesterday when I returned from a rather unproductive trip to Middleton to see this juvenile Goshawk circling with a Buzzard over the wood at the side of our house.

It started off quite low but both birds rapidly gained height until they were lost to view.

Goshawk - juvenilr

First Chiffchaff of the Spring

 A Chiffchaff in Darwin Forest this morning is my earliest record, seems strange to be talking about Spring at the end of February but there have already been several records of Sand Martin across the Country and the first Wheatears have been reported on the south coast.

Common Chiffchaff

Continuing with the spring theme I counted 91 Curlew coming in to roost at Middleton Moor last night and also saw my first Barn Owl there, hunting before the sun was anywhere near setting.

Eurasian Curlew

Taking advantage of the clear skies I went looking for Goshawk this morning. With not even a hint of a breeze conditions were not ideal but I did see several birds although they were rather high in the sky.

Eurasian Goshawk (top adult, bottom two birds are a juvenile and immature female)

Hawfinch increasing at St Helen's Church, Darley Dale

 Four Hawfinch have been reported several times over the last few days at St Helen's Church but increased to six this morning. They feed in the Yew trees then sit in the tops of neighbouring trees presumably while the berries are being digested. There are also good numbers of Greenfinch also feeding in the Yew trees. I saw about 20 this morning but more have been reported.

Hawfinch 

Yesterday I braved the snow and ice and ventured to Middleton Moor. There was more snow there and the small road leading to the rough track was particularly difficult but it was worth the effort as a juvenile female Goshawk flew over Black Harry Gate. Sighting of Goshawk are few and far between at Middleton which is a little surprising although there are no significant woodlands close by.

Eurasian Goshawk - juvenile female

A Curlew has been present for several weeks but looked rather forlorn sat out on the ice.

Eurasian Curlew

Great White Egret - Youlgrave

Hot on the heels of Great White Egrets at Chatsworth and Middleton Moor, Pam and I came across another at Harthill Pond (New Dam) at Youlgrave today. They are definitely on the move and a record count of 8 at Audenshaw Reservoir, Manchester at the weekend suggests it might be to the North West.

Great White Egret

More thrushes about today with at least 80 in conifers in Matlock Forest and the flock included my first Fieldfare of the autumn. There was also a nice group of 10 Common Crossbill, which are the first I've seen for several weeks.

For those concerned about the potential development of Matlock Forest there is a meeting of the Save Matlock Forest Group on 22nd October at the Whitworth at 7pm. They have also produced a website with details about the campaign to stop the construction of 75 holiday lodges in Farley Moor which you can find here.

There was a decent passage of birds moving up the Cathole by Harewood Moor at the weekend with Wood Pigeons, Redwings and finches on the move. The number of birds attracted some predators with both adult and juvenile Goshawk and my first Merlin of the year, which showed several times as it chased Meadow Pipits.

Eurasian Goshawk - adult female

Merlin - rather distant female

Eurasian Goshawk over Darley Dale

 It's not the first Goshawk I've seen from the garden, but it's the first I've had circling directly overhead! Judging the size of a circling bird that doesn't flap is notoriously difficult but there are a couple of features that help to separate this bird from the structurally simiilar, though distinctly smaller, Eurasian Sparrowhawk. This is a female Goshawk which is close to Common Buzzard in size and looks bulky in the photo.

Eurasian Goshawk

Firstly, the tail is noticeably rounded, the Sparrowhawk has tail feathers of equal length so the tail looks square ended, although it will look rounded if the tail is fanned. The Goshawk has outer tail feathers that are distinctly shorter than the central feathers, most obvious on the second photo. 

Secondly, the barring is rather indistinct on the secondaries and absent on the inner secondaries. On Sparrowhawks of all ages there are distinct even bars right across the secondaries - see photo below.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

You might also note that I'm calling it Eurasian Goshawk, until recently Northern Goshawk was the name used for all birds in the Northern Hemisphere but the American birds are now treated as a separate species; American Goshawk and European and Asian birds are Eurasian Goshawk, so I've some editing of labels to do.

If your interested in Goshawk identification you can find a more detailed review here.

I was quite please with the photo as I saw the bird then had to dash inside, get the camera from the camera bag, run out and take a photo, all the time hoping it was still in view.

Dipper on the Lathkill

 A singing male Dipper did a bit of display to its mate on the Lathkill this morning, in very cold weather. The male was ringed and I thought its partner might be as well.

Dipper

I've seen a little bit of Goshawk activity in the sunny weather but the lack of wind has prevented any prolonged display.

Northern Goshawk - subadult male

Waxwings are still feeding by Hassop Station car park but numbers are starting to decline with 30 reported there today, and with 35 reported at the Agricultural Centre in Bakewell this morning, it looks like they are starting to look for berries elsewhere.

Pink-footed Goose - Youlgreave

 Following the Pink-footed Goose movement on the 21st January I've seen no more, apart from the lone Pink-footed Goose that spends its time with the Greylags at Youlgreave. It may be the same bird that spent last winter with them but wasn't present in the summer months so hopefully it returns to Iceland.

Pink-foot with Greylag Geese

I saw two Hawfinch yesterday at Cromford and Alan has seen the single bird at St Helen's in Darley Dale but it eludes me.

I had distant views of a juvenile Goshawk as it crossed Beeley Moor this afternoon which is always a welcome sight as it proves breeding was successful somewhere locally.

Northern Goshawk - juvenile

Yellow Wagtail - Elton Common

 My first 'patch' Yellow Wagtail of the year this morning with a male singing at Elton Common. A scarce passage migrant migrant on Beeley and the Eastern Moors the Yellow Wagtail is a rare breeding bird in the White Peak. It's difficult to know how rare as I only tend to visit a small part and I would be interested to hear of any other records locally.

Yellow Wagtail - male

Another unexpected sighting today was of a Little Egret on the River Wye at Rowsley. It was disturbed briefly by grass cutting for Haddon's fishing access but soon settled again. The driver of the grass cutter was as surprised to see it as I was when I spoke to him later. It could be the bird that wintered at Youlgrave and it will be interesting to see if it lingers.

Little Egret

Yesterday I was fortunate to see a young (second calendar year) Goshawk displaying. Although females do sometimes breed in the second calendar year I can only assume that this bird is unpaired. 

The slight gap between the secondary and primary feathers is due to the loss of a juvenile primary feather as she starts the moult in to a more adult like plumage which will be completed by the autumn.

Northern Goshawk - female 2cy

Encounters with Northern Goshawk

 With the sunny weather in recent days I've spent some time looking for Goshawk which are now starting to display. I've had some luck with superb views of two young males, which I managed to photograph. 

The display period continues through March so there's still plenty of time to see them although their appearance above the tree canopy is rather unpredictable so you have to be prepared to spend quite a bit of time looking.

Northern Goshawk - 3rd calendar year males

Floods followed by blue skies

 After two days of almost continual rain the flooding around Darley Dale was as bad as I can recall in the past two decades with the roads closed at Fourlane Ends, A6 at Rowsley and in the centre of Matlock.

Flooding between Darley Dale and Darley Bridge at Fourlane Ends

Fortunately with dryer weather following and clear blue skies today the river level has fallen quickly. I took a walk up on to the edge of the moors and was rewarded with great views of both Common Raven and Northern Goshawk.

Northern Goshawk - male

Common Raven

I was sad to hear that the juvenile Whooper Swan in Bakewell had died a couple of days ago, at was odd for a young bird to be separated from its parents at this time of year.

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

A decent day for raptors

With a clear sky for a change I spent most of the day in the hills and was rewarded with a superb Peregrine, which flew close past my viewpoint, but also the first signs of Sparrowhawk display with both a male and female circling with characteristic flickering wings. I've made a composite photo to show the orange throated male with the female.
Last, but not least a female Goshawk circled over the hillside looking decidedly meaner than the Sparrowhawks and offering a rare, for me, sight of the upperwing.

Peregrine

Sparrowhawk (female on left, male on right)

Goshawk adult female

Goshawk v Raven

Ravens calling overhead whilst I was walking on the moors today caused me to look up to see two birds interacting with a second calendar year female Goshawk. They were quite distant but I thought the photos gave a useful size comparison.
The Goshawk was not that much smaller than the Ravens and was instigating the interaction, chasing and dive bombing one or other of the Ravens for several minutes.

Goshawk 2nd calendar year female with Raven

Goshawk in the Peak District

With a brighter start to the morning I decided on a longer walk in the Peak District, it was generally quiet apart from a few Buzzards but this second calendar (2cy) year Goshawk made the trek worthwhile. 
Unless there is a hidden pair of Red Kite somewhere the Goshawk vies with Merlin for Derbyshire's rarest breeding bird of prey and like that species they are mainly in the Peak District.
The 2014 Derbyshire Bird Report records 16 sites in the Peak District for Goshawk and just 10 for Merlin which reflects my impression that the Goshawk is fairing better than the Merlin at present.
The Goshawk is easy to identify in this plumage as the Sparrowhawk has no equivalent plumage and all have barred underparts at this time of year. The strength of the rufous colour on the breast and underwing coverts of 2cy Goshawks is variable and this one is at the stronger coloured end of the spectrum.
I've produced a short article on Northern Goshawk identification and ageing on my Wildlife Diaries blog with more photos if anyone is interested. 
A couple of people have mentioned that they hadn't realised that if you click on a photo you can get a larger image, so that's something to try if you weren't aware.
I'm in the French Alps again next week so updates will be on the Wildlife Diaries blog unless I'm sent any interesting photos taken locally.

Goshawk 2cy (juvenile)

Goshawk juvenile female Peak District

A recently fledged juvenile female Goshawk watches me warily from high in a Larch tree in the Peak District. 
One of Derbyshire's rarest breeding birds, only 11 nest sites were known to be occupied in 2013 according to the most recent Derbyshire Bird Report. Human persecution has been a factor in the population decline in its former stronghold in Upper Derwentdale where none were known to breed in 2013.
The combination of its rarity and reclusive habits makes the Goshawk one of the most difficult species to observe, despite its size, and these factors along with its striking plumage and late winter aerial displays make this one of the most iconic birds of our area.

Northern Goshawk - juvenile female

Goshawk - adult

The Goshawk is one of the hardest birds of prey to see well or photograph. The UK population is lower than it should be through continued persecution by some gamekeepers and egg collectors, and it is difficult to locate and observe in its woodland habitat.
Getting a decent photograph requires time and patience, to get to know their behaviour and habitat, or a lot of luck!
This bird, a superb adult and I thought female, based on size, but the very black ear-coverts indistinctly marked secondaries are more indicative of a large male. There are few birds more striking in appearance than this.

Goshawk - adult 

Goshawk - Chatsworth

As I was setting off to walk back from Chatsworth I picked up a raptor circling over the trees, I thought it would be another Buzzard but was delighted to see an immature Goshawk circling round before heading off over the trees. It was quite distant but made a reasonable photo in good light.

Goshawk - first winter

Goshawk - male

Had a lucky encounter with a male Goshawk over the moor this morning. It was rather distant and didn't hang around so I was lucky to get a record shot. The extensive black on the ear coverts identify this as a male. The absence of dark barring on the flight feathers is a good distinguishing feature from Sparrowhawk, particularly if you can't judge the size. Compare with the female Sparrowhawk below taken a few days ago.

Goshawk - male

Goshawk - juvenile

I walked about 20 miles again today but was unable to add any new species to my Foot It list. This juvenile Goshawk however more than made up for it. 
News that Roger Carrington and Ken Smith had seen Kingfisher on the River this morning gives me some hope for tomorrow.

Goshawk juvenile

Goshawk juvenile

Distant views of a juvenile Goshawk today, probably the same bird I saw on 15th September so it's good to see it doing well in its first winter. The photos were taken with the Canon 300 2.8 lens plus x2 III converter, it was just visible with the naked eye so the images are not bad considering. 
Still a few Waxwing around Costcutters in Darley Dale this evening. A party of 8 male Gooseander at Chatsworth courting a single female and a pair of Pintal flew over which is a good record for the valley. The Great Grey Shrike was still at Wragg's Quarry this morning.

Goshawk - juvenile