[TN-Bird] Knox County Goshawk

From: Christopher Welsh <cwelsh@xxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:48:12 -0400
Yesterday (Monday 4/6) at about 5:15 p.m. I was heading home along the
Cumberland strip near Univ. TN in Knoxville when I saw a large raptor
coasting along in the wind.  It was a chilly, overcast day with strong
winds, front coming through, and this large hawk was handling the wind
easily.  Rounded wings, longish tail, heavy body, looked almost as big as a
Red-tailed Hawk.  My first impression was "that is a huge Accipiter".  There
is a Cooper's Hawk that frequents this area, and this bird dwarfed it.  At
one point the bird swerved into a powerful direct flight with a couple of
straight Accipiter-like flaps before veering back up with the wind.

I don't usually do this in traffic, but I pulled over, grabbed my binocs and
got a decent look (and was given some strange looks by passersby).  Grayish
breast and belly, white undertail (whiter than breast/belly), dark gray tail
(not obviously barred), dark gray on back, and appeared to have black on top
and side of the head.  I could not see a white eyebrow stripe, but bird was
moving quite a bit on a gray day.

Based on size, Accipiter profile, and coloration/markings, I'm sure this was
a Northern Goshawk.  Not something I expected to see in Knoxville.

Chris Welsh
Knoxville, TN

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[TN-Bird] Knox County Goshawk

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