I've posted pics of this guy before, but I can't help it...
These pics aren't as good, but I was so stoked watching him/her perch-hunting and then doing low glides and sudden dives for about 20 minutes from my balcony this morning.
Cheers, Scott.
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Saw one of these bout a month ago where i work.
There was a group of cockies going mad as they always seem to do but i looked up to see them chasing what i thought was one of their own.
Then i noticed the wing beats were different compared to the usual double pump from the cockies.
Looked up my guide and read that it was Grey Goshawk White morph.
That was a cool moment for me.
Cheers Beef!
@Beef: Awesome! I've read about that as a hunting technique - 'disguised' amongst the cockies - but never seen it. You'll have to keep your eyes out for them now :)
Cheers, Scott.
Very cool
My 2nd favourite raptor!
My non-birdo husband still boasted about the fact that he saw one in our tiny townhouse backyard nearly 10 years ago and I missed it.
This bird seems to have adapted to a relatively urbanised environment. Is there bushland nearby, ScottTas, or is the bird quite at home midst houses, powerlines & TV aerials?
@Holly: 2nd favourite? Favourite = osprey? I honestly can't pick a favourite - but at the moment Peregrine Falcon / Australian Hobby / Grey Goshawk would have to be my main favourites ;) The day I took these photos, I saw 5 BOP spp from my balcony, incl all 3 of these favourites + Brown Goshawk and Brown Falcon. I can't get enough of BOP!
@Woko: There is bushland (the base / foothills of Mt Wellington) nearby but not immediately adjacent, I guess within a few km 'as the goshawk flies'. Certainly the suburb I'm in isn't especially forested, it's just 'the burbs'. This guy / couple seem very well adapted to hunting around the suburbs - flying low over houses and then going for sudden dives in between houses / in backyards. My theory is that they probably nest somewhere in a more thickly forested gully of the Mt Wellington area but are perfectly happy hunting all around the area. I know of a similar situation at Mt Nelson (a much more leafy hobart suburb in different area that's also close to Mt Wellington) where these goshawks are regularly spotted hunting. So I would say they're well-adapted to living amongst humans and our structures, but I'm not sure about breeding within such areas - I think they probably need more dense areas of vegetation for that.
He/she was back again this morning for a few minutes, perched on the power pole next door.
I did see a behaviour about a week ago I can't really explain, any ideas?.....
A few large gums down the road. Large, stick nest in one of them. Pair of ravens frequently in that area, haven't seen young in the nest, but presume it is or was theirs. The other day, ravens were swooping at the trees, I inspect and find a grey goshawk in the nest. No young there (breeding supposed to be more around August I think anyway). Eventually the goshawk flew and started circling around, with ravens still swooping at him. Then, quite suddenly, the ravens flew off. The goshawk then followed them...
Does anyone think the goshawk may be eyeing off future nesting site potentials? Or just inspecting to make sure no young there to eat? Perhaps this is more likely? Then following the ravens to see if they were going to a different nest?! I was confused (I think I'm just really hoping the goshawk uses this nest at some stage!!).
Cheers, Scott.
I vaguely recall that brown goshawks use the old nests of magpies & ravens so perhaps the grey goshawk was doing some site inspection. I've sometimes seen wedge-tailed eagle gliding low over our place & I've wondered if they're scouting for nest sites. Probably my wishful thinking but who knows!
It would be interesting to learn what it is the grey goshawks find so attractive about your urban area, Scott. Are there mice or some other food in the area?
There would be some mice around. Also plenty of rabbits and small birds which are their main fancies I think. A friend has a holiday house on Bruny Is (just south of Hobart) and he says his resident pair of Masked Lapwings haven't successfully raised young in years - they're all picked off by their resident Grey Goshawk. Mostly I see them diving at groups of starlings / sparrows / goldfinches etc.
Scott, it'll be interesting to see if your population of feral birds declines over the next few years. Where I live our revegetation has attracted breeding (occasionally) brown goshawks, brown falcons & the occasional collared sparrowhawk which have been instrumental, I strongly suspect, in the decline in the numbers of feral birds such as those you listed. Perhaps having nearby bushland is a good way of keeping urban areas feral free.
Here's a few pics from that incident with the Ravens.....