Tyler goshawks

This weblog is a direct continuation of my just completed season in Anacortes, Wa. 5 October 2009- I left Anacortes and headed for Texas. 1 female Goshawk-over I-5 and 41st Street exit- Everett, Wa. The hawk was at altitude of 200 feet and was circling, pumping, and gliding, meaning: the bird was "giving up its species". This is another example of many, that Goshawks are moving into cities and suburbs. I was passing through at 55 miles per hour. I'm Texas bound- to observe the many Goshawks there.
14 October 1:20 P.M. Mesa Verde, Co. 1 male NG ripping through at 200 feet elevation- over the visitor center.
17 October 2 P.M. Albuquerque (Old Town). 1 female NG circling over and over again with pigeons= at about 200 feet elevation.
20 October 10 A.M. Albuquerque- KOA Park on I-40, East Albuquerque. 1 mature female NG- low over head- flapping and gliding, as I was in my truck practicing harmonica. I gave chase on bike with camera. After 30 minutes, I gave up. I could not re-locate the bird.

TEXAS- in less than 48 hours of my arrival in Tyler- my first visit to Tyler. 27 October- 1 NG. The raptor crossed in front of my moving truck at elevation of about 150 -200 feet. The hawk was flapping and gliding as a NG can flap- with deep , flexible , and rapid wing beats. Observation at 11:45 A.M. Location- University of Texas-Tyler

29 October 8 A.M. Spring Creek RV Park - very near Tyler Airport. 1 male NG- Struggling somewhat in the 15 miles per hour winds. the bird came directly over head at about 100 feet elevation. The lighting conditions were at low level. Therefor, I could not age the raptor. Observation time- about 40 seconds. The bird was flapping as a NG can flap, with deep, flexible, and rapid wing beats. The tail was completely folded and showed the typical thick base- this wideness was carried throughout the length of the tail. The raptor had the typical: large arm-small hand with pointed wing tips. The hawk was the size of a large crow. Emphatically, the wrists were jutting forward. The head of the bird was within the valley of the wrists. If viewing the bird from broadside, the head would be hidden in the valley of the wrists.

ALSO on 29 October - same location. 1 male Goshawk- gliding low about 20 feet over the Bermuda grass pasture. Naked eye- the bird was about 150 yards from my position. I assumed the raptor was a Cooper's because of the flight pattern. The bird appeared brown. Then the bird hit the tree line and trees and was in silhouette. This bird was clearly a male NG. The size and shape suggested such. The bird was playing with the wind, at steady 20 -25 miles per hour, by rising 30 feet over the tree tops and diving into the tree tops over and over again. The wings were typical NG in active flight, very deep, very flexible, and rapid. Was this the same bird I saw in the morning?!

30 October 12:15 P.M. Tyler Airport. Bright sun -cool temps. Goshawk doubles! Both hawks were 45 degrees off my zenith. The top bird was at about 4,000 feet elevation. At times it gave the typical NG flap. The lower bird at about 500 feet elevation never flapped. The lower bird appeared to be female. The upper bird appeared to be male. Observation time -about 4 minutes. My feeling was that these hawks were migrating through - southward.

NOTE: for the continuation of this weblog, the action of any typical NG or the structure of the hawk will not be recorded in my field notes, and not reported on in the sightings parts of the blog. The tail -tip shape and terminal band will be presented , if observed. This is critical information, toward my insights. As is the elevation of bird (EOB).