FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Northern Goshawk in Charlottesville

[Brenda Tekin <bt8x@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is a belated post for Thursday, January 9, 2003.

Yesterday  morning while sitting at my office computer the unmistakable 
mobbing calls of American Crow drew my attention to look out the 
window.  Approximately 100 yards away (I'm not too good at judging 
distances.) across the road high up in a dead snag was a large bird being 
mobbed by several crows.  Initially I thought either the adult or juvenile 
Red-tailed Hawk I have seen around central grounds at the University of 
Virginia.  It was clearly of buteo-size and larger than the crows.

What was interesting is the crows seemed to be more conservative in their 
mobbing in that they made no physical contact.  Also observed were several 
crows that flew in to check things out but quickly left the area without 
joining in. I don't recall ever seeing this with crows mobbing Red-tails, 
Great-horned Owl and Red-Shouldered.

Then surprisingly  all of the crows left!  The hawk remained on the snag 
for approximately four minutes longer without being mobbed.  In fact, not 
one crow was observed in the area until after it left.    Occasionally it 
would preen and look out, sometimes teetering as it faced into at times 
brisk wind.

I just happen to have a pair of old binoculars for those "special 
occasions" and was quickly able to determine it was not a buteo with the 
long bluish-gray tail with dark bands.  Hmmm.....large buteo-sized 
accipiter!  A NORTHERN GOSHAWK!   It appeared to have more field marks of 
an adult but seemed to have more brown tones than the bluish gray back.  It 
all too soon lifted off, turned and flew across Jefferson Park Avenue 
heading straight toward my office building.  With my office on the top 
floor at treetop level, I had a wonderful view before it disappeared over 
the rooftop.






Brenda Tekin, Financial & Personnel Administrator
Dept. of Sociology, University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA

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