At least five birders joined me for a spectacular day at Dyke Marsh today,
December 11. We identified one basic-plumaged Laughing Gull on the mud flats
while a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers entertained us in the picnic area.
Four Tundra Swans flew overhead while two very vocal Brown Creepers provided
excellent views. Over a dozen Buffleheads were diving in the channel as seen
from the marina. An Eastern Towhee vocalized along the Haul Road and a Common
Loon was observed swinning in the Little Gut adjacent to Haul Road.
Raptors were everywhere it seemed, with two Bald Eagles observed on the
mudflats, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, one at the Marina and another along Haul Road,
1 gray ghost Northern Harrier cruising the marsh, and a Peregrine Falcon
perched along the river as scene from the end of the boardwalk.
But the best is yet to come. Ed Eder met us along the Haul Road and announced
that he had taken over 300 pictures of a juvenile Northern Goshawk consuming a
squirrel that very morning. He has promised to send along photos to Kurt
Gaskill and I after he picks the best ones out. With Goshawk on our minds, we
continued the walk. At the end of the boardwalk looking out to the islands, we
saw a very large raptor in a life or death struggle with a Canada Goose- yes, a
Canada Goose! The Canada Gosse was still flopping on the ground with the raptor
standing on top of it attacking the head and neck, and it was clear the life of
the goose was slowly ebbing away. The raptor looked like the bird that Ed had
taken pictures of that morning.
Now my total experience with Goshawks amounts to four birds, three of them
adults, so I'm hardly an expert. The size of the raptor in comparison with the
goose and the seemingly wavy irregular banding on the tail made me initially
think Goshawk. After some observation, I began to have difficulties. The folded
wings came down to about 3/4s of the tail (hmmm, tail too short for a goshawk
maybe, but a tad long for a Red-tail?)) and the tail bands suddenly seemed not
as wide as I would like on a goshawk. And some appeared whitish. Moreover, when
the bird turned around to get a better angle on the goose, I noticed that the
spotting (indeed, no streaking) on the breast terminated before it hit the
lower belly. In fact, the undertail coverts and lower belly were pure white.
When the bird raised it's wings, the underwing appeared overall white, and
lacked the barring I would expect on the flight feathers of a goshawk. How
embarrassing, could I have been fooled by a Red-tail? So when the bird flew, I
immediately focused on finding the patagial marks. Didn't see any, but I was at
a bad angle. However, the primaries and primary coverts contrasted with the
rest of the wing, appearing much lighter. Oh, and the bird lacked an
appreciable supercilium, according to an observer who just phoned me. So.....
I'll say Red-tail for now. And a pie in the face for me! I am eagerly waiting
Ed's photos!
Comments are welcome and has anyone ever heard of a Red-tail consuming and
eating a Canada Goose? Maybe the gosse was infirm or injured?
So, following is today's list for our records.
Canada Goose- 263 (including the recently deceased one)
Tundra Swan- 4 (flyover)
Mallard- 27
Bufflehead- 15
Hooded Merganser- 3
Common Loon- 1
Pied-billed Grebe- 1
Great Blue Heron- 5
Bald Eagle- 2
Northern Harrier- 1 (male)
Sharp-shinned Hawk- 2
Red-tailed Hawk- 1
PEREGRINE FALCON- 1
American Coot- 1
Laughing Gull- 1
Ring-billed Gull- 400
Herring Gull- 19
Great Black-backed Gull- 34
Mourning Dove- 8
Belted Kingfisher- 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker- 6
Downy Woodpecker- 13
Hairy Woodpecker- 1
Northern Flicker- 6
Blue Jay- 15
American Crow- 1
Fish Crow- 2
Carolina Chickadee- 14
Tufted Titmouse- 3
Brown Creeper- 3
Carolina Wren- 7
Winter Wren- 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet- 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet- 1
Eastern Bluebird- 8
European Starling- 30
Yellow-rumped Warbler- 37
Eastern Towhee- 1
Song Sparrow- 4
Swamp Sparrow- 2
White-throated Sparrow- 50
Northern Cardinal- 9
Red-winged Blackbird- 55
House Finch- 3
American Goldfinch- 58
House Sparrow- 3
Larry Cartwright
prowarbler@xxxxxxxxx
