More goshawks

It's something of a privilege to have the quail that congregate around here being hunted by a goshawk (the photo below is a juvenile).

You might remember last year, we had a mystery hawk trying to catch a quail off our back deck.

After consulting with an assistant professor at Washington State University in Pullman, we determined the bird was a juvenile goshawk. (The markings on the tail were the defining feature.)

This was exciting news, at least to me. While goshawks are considered of "least concern" in conservation status, they're not commonly seen ... at least not off our back deck.

This week, the usual explosion of quail and doves away from the feeder and into protective brush made me glance out the window in time to see a flash of predator fly by. I grabbed the camera, but by the time the bird landed, it was perched on top of a distant pole on a neighbor's property.

By cropping and enhancing the photo, even from such a distance, I was able to confirm it was an adult goshawk, with the characteristic facial markings.

Here's a professional photo from Pixabay:

Then yesterday, while Don and I were walking Mr. Darcy, we saw a scattering of fine underfeathers from a dove-gray bird, likely the remains of a ring-necked turtledove that are common around here.

So it seems our local goshawk is eating well. By feeding the birds, I like to think we're doing our part to keep the local goshawk population fed as well.