Hello VA-birders,
Sometimes it's amazing how things work. Friday, Larry Meade reported Brewer's
Blackbirds in Prince WIlliam County, so I got in my car to observe them (a
would-be life bird) and made the somewhat long trip from where I live in
Arlington, only to come up with nothing. He then reported a Cave Swallow at
Huntley Meadows, so I decided to give that a try this afternoon, only to come
up wioth nothing (high winds). I was starting to feel a little unlucky
(despite seeing an Orange-crowned Warbler yesterday at Dyke Marsh) until this
afternoon. I was getting out of my car to go into Home Depot in Falls Church,
when I noticed that all the pigeons in the area had suddenly taken flight. And
why did they do this? To my amazement, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK appeared from over
the Home Depot not more than 30 feet above my head, and thankfully due to the
high steady wind, it paused right over me so that I could see its fine
streaking on his breast and wings, as well as the bold supercilium over the
eye. It has been a while since I saw one of these, so I had forgotten how big
they are compared to their Coop and Sharpie cousins. I was able to see it
chase the pigeons for a little while until it decided to continue on in the
original course it was on to the West, and it faded out of sight. I certainly
never expected to see a Goshawk flying over a crowded parking lot, but then
again, sometimes a little luck is on your side.
Jay Keller
Arlington, VA
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