Next steps: moving on from random Goshawk sightings

Adult Goshawk leaving nest area, N. Apennines, 17.vi.2015

Back in 2008, although elated for days after finding an active Goshawk nest within easy reach, just an hour's climb up the hillside behind the village, it slowly dawned on me that seeing goshawks might not be any easier than before the discovery.

I briefly thought about setting up a hide before the next breeding season but soon abandoned the idea: the literature suggested a high likelihood that the birds would use a different site if they bred again, and any obvious structure left up in the woods could perhaps attract unwanted attention.  Although desperate to be able to watch the birds, I was even more desperate not to cause breeding failure or provoke the adults to move to another site.

So, during visits to the area over the next few years after 2008, amounting to a couple of weeks annually at first (and two or three months more recently), I essentially relied just on luck to catch sight of Goshawks again.  I was focused almost exclusively on Honey-buzzards and did not set aside the time needed to get in touch with Goshawks or develop a particular strategy aiming to see them more regularly until the 2015 season.  Not surprisingly, encounters were few and far between.  Here are a few extracts from field notebooks to give some flavour of the occasional and typically fleeting and/or distant encounters with probable Goshawks.

14 October 2008, from the local mountain top: "Hawk mobbed by Kestrel (!), at least 2x size but not quite CBuzz size and slimmer, tail faint barred, darker at end, body dark barred under and heavy 'hanging' appearance.  Mostly 'lazy' flight, floating close to treetops, few wingbeats, at times gliding in and out of canopy".  This was a lateral/posterior view of a bird that came past at eye level then a shrinking dorsal view as it dropped down to a wooded saddle far below connecting one peak with another.

19 March 2010, at foot of local mountain: "From distance medium-large bop, c CBuzz size, rising very rapidly above peak, soaring in circles but seeming to speed up in one direction, almost 'dashing' soaring until very quickly dot in sky; prob Gos, poss same bird as yesterday?  Much snow."

2 June 2010, on small mountain road: "From treetop height on left suddenly across road c 20m in front of car and low over treetops on steep downslope on right.  Medium-dark brown upper with 'sooty' tinge, massive barrel-like body, clear flash white under rump.  Prob. Gos (was it perched or already gliding down mountainside?)"

26 September 2010, from ridge of local mountain: "Watching 2 brown-grey presume juvenile Sparrowhawks duelling around top peak, suddenly another hawk appears, but at least twice size, 2 Spar vanish instantly and other - must be Gos - zooms off to mountain block across valley.  Suddenly 2 others in air with Gos.  White under rump and pale underwings prominent at distance (only sign visible when below treeline).  Separated, lost."

16 May 2011, 'white edge' watchpoint: "Suddenly saw heading direct toward me from opposite  ridge, almost immediately overhead, to side, disappeared over trees behind; brief 2nd view as circled and disappeared upslope toward white scar.  Noted very slow shallow wingbeats, but fast airspeed. Noted underwings quite uniform pale but barring vis on base outer primaries; narrower hand, broad across secondaries. Tail tip dark. Prominent white undertail coverts, slightly flared."  Had been looking up the valley and only saw bird as turned to look across; almost too surprised to take in all details.

10 June 2012.  "Windy, crept to Gos nest. Saw underside rear end of adult tipped up, body moving as if tearing at food; head of one small white chick visible."

It took a surprisingly long time to wake up to the fact that hoping to get a lucky sighting while concentrating on other species was just never going to bring results.  And I can't quite understand why it took me so long to find one practical way to gain more regular views (providing the location of an active nest is known).  One of my habitual watchpoints while seeking Honey-buzzards is downstream in the same side valley as the Goshawk nest site, and it was only after seeing a male Goshawk three times one week in June, streaking down the valley past my watchpoint, or rising abruptly over the ridge opposite, that I realised he would have been leaving the valley after bringing food for the female.  So there should be a chance to see him in flight one or a few times every day at this time of year.

The second key realisation, that came a little later, was that accurate interpretation of hawk calls from the nest area could allow prediction of when the male is still awaited, when he has brought prey, and when (approximately) he might be expected in flight having just left the nest site after delivery.