Goshawk ?

[Redgrape]

I haven't really taken any images for quite some time due to major neck surgery but wanted to get out so visited Woodside Wildlife park.

Sue

Goshawk IMG_7989 by Sue, on Flickr

Goshawk 2 IMG_7996 by Sue, on Flickr

[tigerburnie]

Re: Goshawk ?

Nice close ups

[the black fox]

Re: Goshawk ?

Super

[tesarver]

Re: Goshawk ?



Tom

[Redgrape]

Re: Goshawk ?

I do quite like the 70-200 2.8 IS L , not had long & it was second hand, but it is a little heavy for me to carry at times.

I was also trying to use manual with auto ISO which is a first for me because usually only used AV.

Glad you thought they where worth looking at.

Sue

[colin C]

Re: Goshawk ?

Super portraits and beautiful quality, that 70-200 was worth the effort of lugging it around.

Is it a Goshawk? Could be a juvenile, but it lacks the bold eyestripe. An adult would have the eyestripe and horizontal chest feathers, where this one has vertical feathers and no eyestripe. Without seeing the whole body I am undecided, so will run with Juvenile Goshawk until a more knowledgeable member ventures an opinion.

Either way, still a cracking portrait.

[tigerburnie]

Re: Goshawk ?

Juvenile Gos, eyes turn orange as they mature, this would be less than 2 years old, horizontal barred feathers take around 3 years, problem is they vary in colour as they range from the Arctic circle down to the edge of desserts. The Northern Gos is the most commonly used by falconers and are bred in captivity right across Europe as they are the best hunting bird, they are prone to vanishing and it is thought the birds in Britain are from escaped falconry birds. A bird I really would have liked to have flown, but they are extremely difficult to handle and fly free.

[Redgrape]

Re: Goshawk ?

Thank you for answering my question Colin & tigerburnie, there was no one around to ask while there so tried identifying online but wasn’t at all sure.

Sue

[tigerburnie]

Re: Goshawk ?

Easy to tell close up as they are as big as a buzzard, there's nothing much that looks like a Goshawk, that first picture shows that classic look, almost a "death stare". The Sparrow Hawk is similar but much smaller, a female Spar weighs around 12 ounces, a female Gos can weigh well over 2 pounds.