Tuesday 6 September 2011

A wonderful encounter................. with Goshawks

My walk at the weekend was blessed with beautiful sunshine and I had a pleasant surprise as I returned to my car.
I met up with a couple of beautiful birds.... Goshawks

Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
My first recollection of a Goshawk was when as a young teenager doing a sponsored walk to raise funds for our local youth club.
We were too young to drink alcohol legally but took our chance to be served in a country pub around the halfway point of our walk from Chester back to our village... Cuddington.
The pub we visited is on the edge of Delamere Forest in the village of Mouldsworth.... and is named
"The Goshawk"
Forty years after my first beer in The Goshawk I managed to see the real thing this weekend.



It was a wonderful encounter on a lovely day... to read how I came across these beautiful birds scroll down to read my post about my walk to Rawhead.

To see more beautiful birds from all over the world click on the link below:
http://pineriverreview.blogspot.com/
World Bird Wednesday XLII

35 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

beautiful! great up-close-and-personal captures.

Unknown said...

Great post Andrew!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

George said...

These are absolutely wonderful pictures of the Goshawk. I enjoyed the story of your youthful stop at the pub as well. I browsed through your web site. Your photographs are excellent.
Thanks for visiting my site.

holdingmoments said...

A magnificent bird Andrew, and great captures.

Bob Bushell said...

Excellent photos Andrew.

Pantherka said...

Great shots! At the weekend it came out not only weather, but you also had a wonderful experience!

Adam Tilt said...

Love those close-ups Andrew. Shows just what a powerful predator these birds are.

ADRIAN said...

Great shots of a wonderful bird..........I'd love to see a wild one but these look the same. Bit more co operative I don't doubt.

Laura~Pretty Pix said...

Wonderful captures of a magnificent bird!

Nancy said...

Gorgeous bird and your photos are so crisp and colorful. Great shots, Andrew. :)

joo said...

Wow, Andrew! Terrific photos of this beauty!

Fjällripan said...

It must have been great to see him in real and so close!! Wonderful photos!

eileeninmd said...

Awesome looking bird and great photos, Andrew!

mick said...

Great photos of a magnificent bird.

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

Fantastic photos of the goshawk Andrew, so clear and detailed.

grammie g said...

Hi Andrew...Wow it is a beauty ...lucky you on both counts ..how did you manage to get served beer?....lol!!

Springman said...

I've never seen this bird so beautifully caught, that plumage is crazy cool. Loved the story of your first beer too, nice to come full circle in your Goshawk experiences!

Kim, USA said...

Your photos are very clear. I can see the birds eyeball ^_^ Are this birds harmless? Thanks for the visit.

You Know Me

Stewart M said...

Ah - that first beer!

Is that a wild bird? If so, how did you get so close? I was never confident enough to claim a G'hawk - to many big Sparrowhawks about!

Cheers - SM - Australia

Arija said...

Loved seeing these extra photos of your goshawk encounter. He is such a lovely, well cared for and healthy bird. Hid you notice that his crop was full? Loved seeing that beautiful old watering hole of yours as well.

Cheers . . . Arija

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

What a beautiful bird. I would love to be able to see one that close. Great pictures too. Don't discount your back-up camera if that is what you are still using, looks good to me.

Indrani said...

Wow! What sharp eyes!
Exciting to see so close I am sure.

Magia da Inês said...

✿ °º✿
°✿
Olá!
Muito lindas!
Açores... imponentes e lindos.
Imagens super incríveis.
Beijinhos.
Brasil
✿♥
°º✿✿

Anonymous said...

Wow! You captured him in all his magnificence! I love that piercing stare. Excellent photography! I like the pub too!

Teté M. Jorge said...

Ufff! Marvelous!
Spectacular reportage and pictures!
Hugs.

Fábio Martins said...

Well done, again :)

Hilke Breder said...

Such a serendipitous encounter, Andrew, and you got a eeries of spectacular shots!! I am a little envious - have yet to see one. Enjoyed your recollection of your walk and stop-over at the inn.

NatureFootstep said...

lol, I had to translate the name to figure out what bird it was. I have seen it but never got a shot of it. You have some great ones here. :)

jeanlivingsimple said...

Your Goshawk images are stunning! Fun story about your first beer at the cool Pub.:-D)

Sondra said...

Beautiful PHotos Andrew!! congrats on great captures.

Unknown said...

Gorgeous captures! The pub is absolutely lovely.

Inger-M said...

Wow, the photos are gorgeous, and the experience must have been exhilarating!

Carletta said...

Wow Andrew!
Excellent sharp closeups!
Well done!!!!

Tatjana Parkacheva said...

Excellent photos of this magnificent bird.

Regards!

Rebecca said...

Wow... Awesome photos!