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Subject:

Northern Goshawk

From:

Fred Shaffer

Reply-To:

Fred Shaffer

Date:

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 22:07:06 -0500

I birded Overbrook Park and the former Bowie Landfill this afternoon.  The 
highlight undoubtedly was as I was hiking along one of the trails immediately 
behind the Overbrook Section of Bowie and a sub-adult Goshawk flew 
overhead and landed in a tree almost directly overhead.  I got a brief look at 
the bird before it flew a short distance into another tree, where I got better 
views.  I probably wouldn't have even spotted the bird except that I saw a 
large shadow pass in front of me, and when I looked up, the bird was landing 
in the tree.  It looked huge as it flew powerfully among the trees.

Otherwise, it was a fairly quiet afternoon.  But, other birds included a 
Savannah Sparrow on one of the grassy mounds of the old landfill, a flyover 
Sharp-shinned Hawk, and a flyover immature Bald Eagle.  Large numbers of 
Juncos and White-throated Sparrows worked the tangles and hedgerows.

Fred Shaffer
Patuxent MOS