[TN-Bird] Goshawk - Lauderdale Co.

Jan. 19, 2003
Ashport, Lauderdale Co. TN

At 11:45, this morning (Sunday), I saw a large bird perched in a tree line 
next to the Mississippi River next to Highway 19 about 1/4 mile north of 
Ashport. I slowed down to make sure of an ID, thinking it just another 
Red-tailed Hawk. A Blue Jay came flying down the tree line and suddenly the 
raptor took chase. This bird made some unbelievable moves as the Blue Jay 
made an abrupt course change and came out into the open field. Although the 
Blue Jay made tight turns and rolls, the large raptor never fell back in the 
chase. The Blue Jay with raptor closing on him made it back to an area of 
closely spaced saplings and disappeared over a mound of dirt.

There was no mistaking, the bird was not a Red-tail or even a Red-shouldered. 
The spread wings and tail seen in the sharp turns pretty well eliminated 
anything but an accipiter but this bird was much too large for anything other 
than a Goshawk. The bird flew south down the tree line and came to rest just 
inside the edge. I was able to pull in a turn off and get my scope on the 
bird. From the back I could see heavy mottling on the brown back but more 
importantly the long banded tail. There was a prominent wide, buffy, 
supercilium that flared behind the eye and a buff stripe running across the 
wing at the greater coverts. The bird flew farther south and then went over 
the small levee and disappeared. 

I traveled south to the boat ramp and parked. I walked out from there in 
order to see past the house to the north and eventually relocated the bird 
facing me, about 200 feet away again sitting just inside the tree line. From 
the front I could see the heavy dark vertical streaks on a buff background 
unlike the neater dark streaks on a lighter background found on Cooper's 
Hawks. The bird was impressively large with fierce yellow eyes but noting my 
attention it quickly turn and went back north working through the trees. I 
searched for another 30 minutes but did not relocate this large immature 
Northern Goshawk.

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


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