G is for Goshawk

Another week in Weymouth by myself with somewhat better weather.

Inspired by H is for Hawk and being aware of a decent Goshawk population in Wareham Forest I went on 12th in search of a suitable vantage point, and found a likely candidate on a heath with a mound with decent all-round views. Woodlarks serenaded my walk up and a Dartford Warbler perched conveniently on a gorse bush, then in bright sunshine and with blue skies I started scoping the horizon. A few Buzzards and a couple of Ravens, then a raptor glimpsed over a woodland and on zooming in unmistakably a Gos! Regular readers will know I make the annual trek to Cockley Cley in the Brecks to see distant birds, mainly males, but there's a buzz that comes from finding your own.

This bird was hefty - clearly a female. It flew around for a while, seemingly doing a territorial flight, and was then joined by a second bird, also a female. These two birds flew together over the edge of the forest and toward the heath. One turned back to be joined by a male, but the other kept on coming straight toward me. I had to abandon the scope and go to the binoculars, and still she kept coming, languidly flying straight past me at moderate height, filling the binoculars field of view, and then kept going to a distant wood. 

Writing this a few days later and I'm still buzzing. Never did I expect I would see a Goshawk that close. Just an astonishing never to be forgotten sight.

Later conversation indicated this was a well-known site amongst local birders, and my close encounter with the females is one others have had. Nevertheless to go in search of a bird and find it is what makes birding an unbeatable experience. 

I popped down to Swineham Gravel Pits later. 10 Glossy Ibis and several Chiffchaffs singing (again I gather a population through the winter here so probably not migrants). Nice, but its not like finding your own birds.