Close encounters with Goshawks.
Written by Richard Tyler
In the UK the Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis was almost driven to extinction by the mid-nineteenth century. Fortunately, there has been some recovery and one of the best sites to see Goshawks since the 1980s has been a well-known raptor watch point in the Forest of Dean in my county, Gloucestershire. Goshawks were first found breeding again in my area, the Cotswolds, in 2007 and although there is still some illegal persecution they are making a comeback. For such a large raptor (the female being the size of a Buzzard) it is surprising how seldom these birds are seen. They are known as “the phantom of the forest” for good reason spending most of their time hidden in woodland being very shy and extremely secretive.
If you want to observe Goshawks you have to make an effort to go and look for them.
They will display over their woodland territories in early Spring and this is the best time of year to see them. You don’t need to be an early riser as they aren’t usually very active until about 11.00am. Keen ornithologists choosing the right location with a good viewpoint and decent weather conditions are often successful. These views are often distant. To observe an adult bird close and perched up is a completely different matter and will not have been seen even by many of the keenest birdwatchers.
I am a keen birder and photographer and have had experience photographing Goshawks coming down to bait in Scandinavia so why not the Cotswolds? My journey began five years ago. At this point I should say I am fortunate in that I have a lot of access to private land with interested landowners. I needed to pick a woodland where I had landowner permission, and I knew there were Goshawks. Quiet, undisturbed and away from footpaths.
Goshawks are only likely to come down to bait during the Winter months. Having chosen a site I needed a hide, a feeding station, a good supply of bait (steel-shot Wood Pigeons - which necessitated an extra deep freeze at home!). Also, a trail camera (waterproof and motion activated) to record any birds coming down to the bait.
I constructed a wooden hide one September and left it in situ in the woodland. An old tree trunk was to be my feeding post 20 metres from the hide. The hide was placed in such a position to make the best use of the Winter light. From my experience in Scandinavia, I knew the bait had to be firmly secured otherwise the bird would grab the pigeon and be gone in seconds into the depths of the forest. The Goshawk had to stay and eat the pigeon in front of me. I started baiting in early December and continued to the beginning of March. To maximise my chances, it was important that any Goshawk was not aware of my presence. I would place the bait each evening in the dark so that it was there available in the morning. During this first Winter the trail camera recorded Buzzards and the occasional Red Kite but no Goshawks. A Buzzard will easily eat a whole Wood Pigeon so once they started making regular visits, I started to put out two pigeons each evening. Despite negative trail camera recordings, I did spend several days in my hide over that first Winter period. Entry into the hide was always in the dark at least one hour before sunrise. I didn’t see a single Goshawk although I did hear one calling on a couple of occasions. The following April I found Goshawks breeding just eighty metres from my hide! I could see the female incubating, her long tail protruding from her huge stick nest.
The following Winter I moved to a different location set up again and after three weeks got my first Goshawk on the trail camera, an exciting moment. The daily feeding continued and at this site apart from Buzzards I also had to contend with a Tawny Owl coming down to feed every night and a fox. The fox would jump up onto the logs and would always make a couple of visits and remove all the bait. Although I was sceptical about it’s efficacy I placed an ultrasonic fox deterrent. It worked immediately there being no more visits from the fox. Once the Goshawk started to make more regular visits I started to spend some time in my hide. Eventually a female Goshawk landed in front of me. I hadn’t heard or seen her come in, she just appeared! I managed a few photos then moved my camera lens a fraction, that was a mistake, she was gone but I was now hooked. What a wonderful bird, alert, powerful and muscular with huge talons. A slaty grey back, heavily barred chest and belly, a white-tipped long tail and a white eye stripe but it was the eyes that did it. Piercing, deep yellow and just so wild!
My encounters with Goshawks have continued over the last four Winters. Just when I think they are becoming predictable in their feeding visit times its turns out not to be the case! That is the way of Goshawks, sometimes they may not visit for a couple of days, other times they may be calling very close to the feeding station but don’t come down and other times they appear in complete silence as if out of nowhere. Every encounter is so special it makes up for all the time, commitment and blank days sitting for hours in the cold. It is always a real privilege to be so close to one of our wildest creatures that is oblivious to my human presence.
I have learned much about Goshawks over the last few years including their different calls, plumage variations and male and female interactions. The female is much larger and more powerful than the male, very much the dominant bird.
Even though Goshawks are strictly protected by UK law there is still illegal persecution particularly on estates with game bird shooting. The UK law and penalties for raptor persecution needs to be addressed as it is so weak compared to other countries. Their destruction really is misguided as most of the time they are feeding on species that are also controlled by landowners and gamekeepers. Goshawks are fierce predators and will indeed take pheasants and partridges, but this is a very small part of their diet. Most of their prey here in the UK consists of Wood Pigeons, corvids and top of the list, Grey Squirrels. This fact was brought home to me when (with a licence from Natural England) I used a hide to watch a couple of nests in recent Summers. Virtually all the prey I saw brought to the nest were Grey Squirrels.
Even though I have watched then numerous times my fascination with Goshawks is no less now than when I started my journey. I cannot wait for my next encounter with the phantom of the forest but try as hard as I might I know it will be on the Goshawks’s terms and not mine!
Editors Note:
Richard is correct, raptor persecution sadly does still exist, and we certainly do not condone such acts. It does need pointing out however, just as with any profession, that far from all gamekeepers commit such crimes, indeed many do superb work which allows wildlife to survive and thrive, and their good work should be equally recognised.
Richard Tyler
Gloucestershire
richardtyler.zenfolio.com