•  Northern goshawks are the largest of the North American "true hawks"
• Northern goshawks are the fastest of all the raptors over a short distance. They are built entirely for burst speed. The northern goshawk is so fast that when hunting, the average chase time is less than 8 seconds.
• In the breeding season, female goshawks will attract males in the area by performing a unique "undulating flight display " and calling, or alternatively by perching in the nesting area and  calling gull-like calls.
• Northern goshawks are highly territorial. Adults defend their territories fiercely from intruders, including humans who venture too close to their nests.
• Even in the case of northern goshawks guilty of some damage to man’s interests, it can be argued that they’re in some degree beneficial. Goshawks kill a number of game birds, but also kill pigeons and small mammals, which are agricultural pest, and such birds as jays, which are damaging the game-preserver interest.
  
• The northern goshawk has a long wedge-shaped tail which functions as a rudder allowing it to make sharp right turns through trees
• The ‘bushy’ white feathers above each eye is thought to protect its eyes when it dives into thick brush to hunt prey
• Northern goshawks can be very persistent in going after their prey. For instance, a goshawk was seen chasing a snowshoe hare for 45 to 60 minutes along a hedgerow
• Many of the hawk bird group are used in falconry. By far the most commonly flown is the Northern Goshawk. This expert hunter is revered around the world for its tenacious attitude and ferocious attack power and speed.
  

Bibliography

www.about-falconry.com/

www.greenpeace.org/

Raptors of the world/James Ferguson-Lee and David A. Christie

Today the 9th of September saw the release of one Sharp-shinned hawk and two Swainson's hawks. We still have three more Swainson's to go and some Red-tails as well. thee has been a flurry of Swainson's that has tailed off recently, Horned owls continue to show up with a variety of eye/head wing injuries. We have also seen Common Night Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk earlier.
 

There has been a request tht we post a wish-list so it here.  You will find it on the NEWS page

Every 4 years the Peregrine Falcon Survey takes place, cataloging the nesting pairs of birds in Canada. In Alberta the Peregrine has been downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened". To be de-listed entirely we need 70 pairs of falcons producing an average of 1.5 young every 5 years.
As a result of the survey this year, Alberta has 68.
The Society has been involved in the discovery of 5 sites. This is a record. Our previous total was zero. Not that we haven't been trying, we have had several sites on the North Saskatchewan River since the mid-90's uneventfully.

The first new active site is a cliff eyrie near Rocky Mountain House that was re-vamped 4 years ago. It's a beautiful cliff on the river and we are ecstatic that the birds found it as appropriate as we did when it was built.
The second is near Drayton Valley again on a cliff, a site that John Campbell and I constructed 4 years ago and then revisited last year and found nothing. This year there is a pair of birds seen by Alberta Fish and Wildlife when Dr. Gordon Court flew it. Nice.
The third is at Dow Chemical near Fort Saskatchewan. There is a pair there trading nest duties as late as August this year. It doesn't look like they have raised young, but first year breeders often have problems with fertile eggs etc. because of their inexperience. This nest is really difficult to get to, because of the height and piping on the ground below it. So, there might be eggs there, there might not be ( probably are from their behaviour ) but right now we don't know.
The fourth is at Envirofuels near Sherwood Park. Ten or more years ago we helped install a nest box on a pressure vessel that's probably 140 feet plus high. Thsi was done in coordination with Alberta Fish and Wildlife ( Dr. Gordon Court) and Envirofuels ( Dr.John CHoi) There hasn't been anything there until this year when a pair of birds laid eggs (2) and incubated them. They were not fertile and were collected for Fish and Wildife who have analysed them for DDE. The analysis they do is a concern if the chemical is present in more than 5 PPM. These eggs were less.
As a side note the new chemical of interest is PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ether and its many iterations. It's commonly used as a fire-retardant and the feeling is that it is going to cause problems as it accumulates much the same as DDE and PCB has done in the past in fish and birds. This is the chemical to watch.
The Envirofuels eyrie can be seen in our Gallery, thanks to Dwayne Fedun for his help getting the pictures.
The fifth site is a wildilfe area on the Brazeau Resevoir where there is s long cliff. Peregrines have been seen on this cliff historically but not recently until now. John Campbell and I serviced this site 4 years ago and it was checked last year but there were no birds around, let alone nesting. Last year the water level was substantially lower (see photos in the Gallery) making the climb much more difficult from the water. This year the level was back to what might be considered normal and the climb to the site, although time consuming was very successful. As the eyrie was approached a male could be seen perching at the site and a female was see not far away. Only two birds were actually seen at once. There were pellets at the site but really no sign of eggs. It's a large cliff though, and there could be other sites. It really needs to be explored which will take a couple of days to do. There are some pictures in the Gallery of last year's trip and then this year's as well. you can get some idea of the difference in water levels. to give you some idea as to the amount of water the boat anchor used a good 80 feet of rope underneath the site.
Many people have helped with these sites, John Campbell, Warren Olsen, Chris Saunders, and Roseanna Gullekson, to name a few of the many. Thanks to everyone who endured the vehicle breakdowns, rains, wind and general abuse to get these done.
Have a look at the pictures, and if you have any questions email is asibp@tic.ab.ca or phone 780-922-3024.
KG

There has been a request tht we post a wish-list so it here.  You will find it on the NEWS page

Once again the Strathcona County Christmas Bird Count is looking for cold and snow immune people to look through bushes, fields and feeders for the resident birds. The Shelter will gladly accept any volunteers for this morning/early afternoon excursion. We will leave from the Raptor Shelter parking lot, Monday December 27th, at 8:00 AM and proceed south to TWP Road 515A. From there we walk back north to the Shelter, a distance of 3 kms "as the crow flies". It would be nice to know if you are coming , but if you just show up at 8, that will be fine.

Here it is August and it's getting busy. August 14 we got an adult Peregrine falcon from Edmonton city near Grant MacEwan college. We usually get the young birds, learning to fly that have gotten into trouble. This one looks like it has been hit by a car with a concussion and some internal bleeding. It is banded with an 816-34184 band and a black D-5. The information we have is that it is a 7yr male from the University of Alberta area, that would have currently been feeding chicks over there. He wandered into another Peregrine's territory, in the downtown Edmonton, and got into trouble. From the injuries, he was knocked down and was being plucked for food when we interrupted. There is a large male bird in that area that likely went after him and caught him. This one weighs in at 630 grams, much too small to win that fight. As it is Dr. Court with Fish and Wildlife will make arrangements to see him back to his home territory and the female with the chicks, battered but not broken.

Some interesting, well they are all interesting, more like "unusual" birds we have seen this season are a Praiire falcon, juvenile male found near Highway 26 and Range road 183, east of Camrose Alberta. It had internal injuries and died overnight. Most Prairie falcons are found to the south, near Red Deer or Calgary.

Another bird from the Camrose area, a Ferruginous hawk, immature male was brought in August 10 from the Camrose Animal Clinic, attended by Dr. Bibby there. Thanks to them for their interest. It seems to have a slight concussion but is otherwise healthy. Sometimes we get these birds, important to Alberta wildlife, but only about once every five years. The last one came from Gibbons Alberta to the north of us about a half hour. They breed in the south east about 4 hours away and have been seen as far north as Grande Prairie as probable dispersing birds before migration.

We have some pictures of the Peregrine and the Ferruginous hawk in the Gallery

•  Northern goshawks are the largest of the North American "true hawks"
• Northern goshawks are the fastest of all the raptors over a short distance. They are built entirely for burst speed. The northern goshawk is so fast that when hunting, the average chase time is less than 8 seconds.
• In the breeding season, female goshawks will attract males in the area by performing a unique "undulating flight display " and calling, or alternatively by perching in the nesting area and  calling gull-like calls.
• Northern goshawks are highly territorial. Adults defend their territories fiercely from intruders, including humans who venture too close to their nests.
• Even in the case of northern goshawks guilty of some damage to man’s interests, it can be argued that they’re in some degree beneficial. Goshawks kill a number of game birds, but also kill pigeons and small mammals, which are agricultural pest, and such birds as jays, which are damaging the game-preserver interest.
  
• The northern goshawk has a long wedge-shaped tail which functions as a rudder allowing it to make sharp right turns through trees
• The ‘bushy’ white feathers above each eye is thought to protect its eyes when it dives into thick brush to hunt prey
• Northern goshawks can be very persistent in going after their prey. For instance, a goshawk was seen chasing a snowshoe hare for 45 to 60 minutes along a hedgerow
• Many of the hawk bird group are used in falconry. By far the most commonly flown is the Northern Goshawk. This expert hunter is revered around the world for its tenacious attitude and ferocious attack power and speed.
  

Bibliography

www.about-falconry.com/

www.greenpeace.org/

Raptors of the world/James Ferguson-Lee and David A. Christie

Today the 9th of September saw the release of one Sharp-shinned hawk and two Swainson's hawks. We still have three more Swainson's to go and some Red-tails as well. thee has been a flurry of Swainson's that has tailed off recently, Horned owls continue to show up with a variety of eye/head wing injuries. We have also seen Common Night Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk earlier.
 

There has been a request tht we post a wish-list so it here.  You will find it on the NEWS page

Every 4 years the Peregrine Falcon Survey takes place, cataloging the nesting pairs of birds in Canada. In Alberta the Peregrine has been downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened". To be de-listed entirely we need 70 pairs of falcons producing an average of 1.5 young every 5 years.
As a result of the survey this year, Alberta has 68.
The Society has been involved in the discovery of 5 sites. This is a record. Our previous total was zero. Not that we haven't been trying, we have had several sites on the North Saskatchewan River since the mid-90's uneventfully.

The first new active site is a cliff eyrie near Rocky Mountain House that was re-vamped 4 years ago. It's a beautiful cliff on the river and we are ecstatic that the birds found it as appropriate as we did when it was built.
The second is near Drayton Valley again on a cliff, a site that John Campbell and I constructed 4 years ago and then revisited last year and found nothing. This year there is a pair of birds seen by Alberta Fish and Wildlife when Dr. Gordon Court flew it. Nice.
The third is at Dow Chemical near Fort Saskatchewan. There is a pair there trading nest duties as late as August this year. It doesn't look like they have raised young, but first year breeders often have problems with fertile eggs etc. because of their inexperience. This nest is really difficult to get to, because of the height and piping on the ground below it. So, there might be eggs there, there might not be ( probably are from their behaviour ) but right now we don't know.
The fourth is at Envirofuels near Sherwood Park. Ten or more years ago we helped install a nest box on a pressure vessel that's probably 140 feet plus high. Thsi was done in coordination with Alberta Fish and Wildlife ( Dr. Gordon Court) and Envirofuels ( Dr.John CHoi) There hasn't been anything there until this year when a pair of birds laid eggs (2) and incubated them. They were not fertile and were collected for Fish and Wildife who have analysed them for DDE. The analysis they do is a concern if the chemical is present in more than 5 PPM. These eggs were less.
As a side note the new chemical of interest is PBDE, polybrominated diphenyl ether and its many iterations. It's commonly used as a fire-retardant and the feeling is that it is going to cause problems as it accumulates much the same as DDE and PCB has done in the past in fish and birds. This is the chemical to watch.
The Envirofuels eyrie can be seen in our Gallery, thanks to Dwayne Fedun for his help getting the pictures.
The fifth site is a wildilfe area on the Brazeau Resevoir where there is s long cliff. Peregrines have been seen on this cliff historically but not recently until now. John Campbell and I serviced this site 4 years ago and it was checked last year but there were no birds around, let alone nesting. Last year the water level was substantially lower (see photos in the Gallery) making the climb much more difficult from the water. This year the level was back to what might be considered normal and the climb to the site, although time consuming was very successful. As the eyrie was approached a male could be seen perching at the site and a female was see not far away. Only two birds were actually seen at once. There were pellets at the site but really no sign of eggs. It's a large cliff though, and there could be other sites. It really needs to be explored which will take a couple of days to do. There are some pictures in the Gallery of last year's trip and then this year's as well. you can get some idea of the difference in water levels. to give you some idea as to the amount of water the boat anchor used a good 80 feet of rope underneath the site.
Many people have helped with these sites, John Campbell, Warren Olsen, Chris Saunders, and Roseanna Gullekson, to name a few of the many. Thanks to everyone who endured the vehicle breakdowns, rains, wind and general abuse to get these done.
Have a look at the pictures, and if you have any questions email is asibp@tic.ab.ca or phone 780-922-3024.
KG

There has been a request tht we post a wish-list so it here.  You will find it on the NEWS page

Once again the Strathcona County Christmas Bird Count is looking for cold and snow immune people to look through bushes, fields and feeders for the resident birds. The Shelter will gladly accept any volunteers for this morning/early afternoon excursion. We will leave from the Raptor Shelter parking lot, Monday December 27th, at 8:00 AM and proceed south to TWP Road 515A. From there we walk back north to the Shelter, a distance of 3 kms "as the crow flies". It would be nice to know if you are coming , but if you just show up at 8, that will be fine.

Here it is August and it's getting busy. August 14 we got an adult Peregrine falcon from Edmonton city near Grant MacEwan college. We usually get the young birds, learning to fly that have gotten into trouble. This one looks like it has been hit by a car with a concussion and some internal bleeding. It is banded with an 816-34184 band and a black D-5. The information we have is that it is a 7yr male from the University of Alberta area, that would have currently been feeding chicks over there. He wandered into another Peregrine's territory, in the downtown Edmonton, and got into trouble. From the injuries, he was knocked down and was being plucked for food when we interrupted. There is a large male bird in that area that likely went after him and caught him. This one weighs in at 630 grams, much too small to win that fight. As it is Dr. Court with Fish and Wildlife will make arrangements to see him back to his home territory and the female with the chicks, battered but not broken.

Some interesting, well they are all interesting, more like "unusual" birds we have seen this season are a Praiire falcon, juvenile male found near Highway 26 and Range road 183, east of Camrose Alberta. It had internal injuries and died overnight. Most Prairie falcons are found to the south, near Red Deer or Calgary.

Another bird from the Camrose area, a Ferruginous hawk, immature male was brought in August 10 from the Camrose Animal Clinic, attended by Dr. Bibby there. Thanks to them for their interest. It seems to have a slight concussion but is otherwise healthy. Sometimes we get these birds, important to Alberta wildlife, but only about once every five years. The last one came from Gibbons Alberta to the north of us about a half hour. They breed in the south east about 4 hours away and have been seen as far north as Grande Prairie as probable dispersing birds before migration.

We have some pictures of the Peregrine and the Ferruginous hawk in the Gallery