Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Northern Goshawk

With our winter weather being comparatively mild (-10C warming up to -2C), I decided to join friends yesterday morning for a local walk. Usually, this walk goes eastwards but yesterday my group walked west. I haven't been in that direction for many years and couldn't even remember what the area looked like. Came home with practically no photos and certainly no decent shots. However, it was good to get some fresh air and much-needed (but very painful) exercise, in the company of good friends. It turned out to be a long walk, with practically no birds being seen in the first part. However, we did see a very distant Northern Goshawk juvenile down on the ground, feeding apparently on a Ring-necked Pheasant. We had seen six of these Pheasants in flight in the same area. The other highlight for me, was seeing the ice formation along the creek. I don't remember ever seeing this before, so it took me by surprise. I don't drive in the mountains in winter, so I never see any of the amazing frozen waterfalls that some people see.

Taking a short break from posting photos from Waterton Lakes National Park, as there are several photos from a recent botany walk and a short drive yesterday that I wanted to add. I have missed so many botany walks again this year and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go on this one, when I saw that the weather forecast was for the risk of thunderstorms. Decided I had better go, as the forecast for two days later was even worse. As it was, thunder and lightning was all around us as we climbed down through the trees and the rain was spitting until we reached the parking lot, when it began to pour. Recently, every day seems to be following the same weather pattern - thunder and rain - and it is becoming very tedious, though we desperately needed rain, and a lot of it. We had a good walk, climbing up the ridge on the south side of the creek and then down through the boreal forest and back to our cars. There was a good variety of plants, including Wild White Geranium ((Geranium richardsonii), Dewberry ((Rubus pubescens), Sweet-scented Bedstraw (Galium triflorum), Wild Lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense), Leafy Arnica (Arnica chamissonis), Showy Locoweed (Oxytropis splendens), Thesium ramosum/arvensis, Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata), Naked Mitrewort (Mitella nuda), Fairy Bells (Prosartes trachycarpum), Pink and Greenish Wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia and P. chlorantha), and tiny Twinflower (Linnea borealis). We also heard and saw at least two beautiful birds of prey as we walked through the forest and it was obvious that we had come across a family with young ones. I so rarely see hawks close up and my knowledge is pretty limited, so I would appreciate any help with ID - thanks! Wondering if it is a Cooper's Hawk? Adult, juvie, male, female?

Poor quality, heavily cropped shot of this Northern Goshawk juvenile, but at least you can see its beautiful feather pattern, right down to the tip of its tail. Seen at Votiers Flats, Fish Creek Park, on 22 November 2012.

Early on a walk at Griffith Woods this morning, we came across this rather fine Hawk. A later note: I really appreciate the ID confirmation, Stanley and Jim!!