Goshawk at the Rancho!

Today April 18, 2010 I scared an adult female Northern Goshawk out of an Oak tree at the ranch, in the eastern Santa Maria Valley. It was twenty-five feet from 30 chickens in a pen. Arthur Bent said: "the goshawk, this bold brigand of the north woods, the largest, the handsomest, and the most dreaded of the Accipiter tribe, swoops down, in winter, upon our poultry yards and game covers with deadly effect. He is cordially hated, and justly so, by the farmer and sportsman; and for his many sins he often pays the extreme penalty.".

There is an April 6, record from Figueroa Mountain. There is also an adult bird seen near Twitchell Reservoir 17 July 1985. Twitchell Reservoir is ~ 6 miles northeast of the ranch. Greg Smith had one in his yard in SLO county May 8, 2007. I had my camera with me but I did not get a picture. I was initially 8 feet away from the bird. The bird was huge! The grayish underparts and the face pattern were very different from any other accipiter. I watched as the bird flew off fast east. The long and big tail was noticeable. I got to see the steel blue-gray back. The pattern of flight was very different also. with short bursts of flying and alternating short and long glides. An awesome bird-human experience. That got my blood stirring! This ended a week in which I got another yard bird. Thursday I saw a hummingbird getting pollen out of some flowers. I got closer and with my binocs I saw purple throat, I initially thought about Black-chinned but then I heard it and got better looks it was a Calliope Hummingbird.