Northern Hawk Owl & Goshawk

[Sean Smith]

The NORTHERN HAWK OWL was present today at its previously-reported location in Palmyra.  Jeff Webb and I found it sitting halfway up in an elm tree a few hundred yards down the road.  It flew only once during the forty minutes we were there, moving only once to a nearby tree where it continued to scope and scan for prey.

 

Bruce Barker, who was there looking for the Hawk Owl when we arrived, alerted us to a 1st-year NORTHERN GOSHAWK that actually flew toward the HAOW while we were looking at it through binoculars, then veered off into some trees nearby.    Definitely a NOGO as it was noticeably larger than the Hawk Owl, especially the wingspan (if they'd gotten into it, my money would have been on the Goshawk).  

 

There were also about 20 PINE SISKINS in the vicinity, with males singing territorially from exposed perches.

 

Sean Smith