Tim writes: Goshawks are quite a difficult bird to see and photograph in Britain. The closely related Sparrowhawk also provides an identification pitfall but this is the genuine article. Curiously I have never heard of anyone mistaking a Goshawk for a Sparrowhawk, only the other way round. It is one of those birds that when you see one you’ll know it. The breeding population in 2015 was around 437-616 pairs that are patchily distributed throughout Britain. For most of the year Goshawks keep a low profile but in early spring they display over woodlands offering a rare opportunity to photograph them. This female was in the Peak District National Park on a sunny day in February.
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Myself and my partner Sally are spending a few days up in Upper Teasdale in northern England and in Eastern Scotland with a friend. I have to say the skies in these areas are devoid of raptors. We come form the South we are used to seeing buzzards, red kites sparrow hawks etc, but here where we have been on holiday I have seen the odd kestrel and that is it. I have also been told by a very reliable source that local buzzards are shot out of their nests at night , their nests totally destroyed and the dead birds and the remains of the nest burnt.
Wildlife crime seems to be wide spread in these parts. If ever your campaign, Mark, needed substantiation one only has to look around one and see the empty skies. It will be a long road but wildlife crime will be eliminated in the end.
The people that kill all our wildlife and raptors in particular
I think that sights such as this will be seen more frequently, in parts of the Dark Peak, over the next
few years.
Due in no small part to the actions of the National Trust, much derided and deemed insufficient by
Some, they have, unlike certain other large landowners drawn a line in the sand.
This will become a more familiar site, in parts of the Dark Peak, in the near future.
Due in no small part, to decisions made by the National Trust, concerning the lease on the Snake.
Although the target of much criticism ,they have drawn a line in the sand, and set an example for
certain other large landowners to follow.
I do hope you are right Trapit. Since we last spoke I have moved to mid Wales and it seems our two local goshawk pairs have disappeared whilst incubating, as have the buzzards and raven pair too and a pheasant pen is now going up in the wood. Coincidence, I rather think not!
Great picture Tim.
National Trust ‘line in the sand’? Didn’t they re-let to grouse shooters? Didn’t their board approve continued hunting with dogs, sorry they call it ‘trail hunting’ but no-one has seen these lines being drawn.
I’d be over-joyed to learn that my comments are wrong …. and to discover that they no longer have grouse shooting tenants or licence ‘trail hunting’ with dogs.
Nimby, I was just referring to a specific area / problem.
Without sufficient knowledge of NT issues in other area’s, I am unable to comment.