Goshawk

Well I wasn't expecting that!

Spent a lovely evening at Black Hole Marsh last night. And it started really well as a Wood Sandpiper was calling as I walked through the entrance gate, not that I could see it (and didn't for the rest of my visit!). 

From the Island Hide there were three lovely juvenile Ruff, two Greenshank, plenty of Black-tailed Godwits including a big increase in gingery juvs and a few Dunlin and Ringed Plover.  So lots and lots of birds.  But then, just before 8pm, something put everything up, although it was an odd flush with very little noise but a huge reaction. 

I soon saw why...

A juvenile Goshawk was chasing a Wood Pigeon low over the boundary of Black Hole Marsh and Colyford Common, before giving up, gaining some height and powering on off to the west. What an awesome sight.

A video grab

Such a distinctive shape - as ever when you see a Gos you know it is a Gos! If you are ever not sure then it isn't one!

And off it went...

What was almost as incredible as seeing the Gos, was seeing the effect it had on the birds on Black Hole Marsh!  

For the next twenty minutes after the Gos flew through, literally nothing moved.  Pretty much all the wading birds clumped together and formed a super-flock on the far side of the marsh, with the entire northern half of the marsh remaining bird-less, that was except for one of the juv Ruff which was literally cowering underneath a wooden bridge - I have never seen a bird look so petrified!  It took half an hour for the Black-headed Gull flock to return too.  Just amazing, I have never seen anything quite like it before, and I have seen all sorts of flushes here from White-tailed Eagle to White Stork and Common Crane! 

Sorry - there are no birds here anymore!

What an amazing way to end a day, quite possibly the best way...