About a fortnight ago I posted a juvenile Brown Goshawk which landed
on my back steps.
Today, at 1.00 pm, as I walked into the kitchen, it or a sibling
crashed into one of our downstairs northern windows - a mighty crash
and window almost obscured by huge barred wings!
It flew to the low wall which supports our bird-bath and perched
there while I grabbed my camera from the shelf by my head, switched it
on, and focussed on the hawk. By moving very slowly I was able to
approach fairly closely and take several photos (many impaired by
internal reflections). Presently it flew to perch on the edge of the
awning, then to a pear-tree and away. I fear the bird may have injured
its left leg.
I took the camera into the sitting-room to show Brian, then we
returned to the kitchen - and briefly saw that the Goshawk had been
perched on the arm of the bench in front of the window. It flew again
to the pear-tree and I got a photo through a cleaner window. I have
posted the best two photos on Birdlife Australia's Photo Gallery, if you
want to see them.
Why did it strike the window? Probably because the outside landscape
was reflected in the window, giving the impression that it could fly
through. I took down one awning but the loss of shade does not seem to
affect the reflections. I shall make some more 'flying hawk' cut-outs
to stick up.
Other casualties of window strikes over the years have been a
Kookaburra (apparently unaffected), many Spotted Doves (sometimes
fatal), and an Azure Kingfisher which was stunned - it was rescued from
the cat and placed in a shoe-box to recover, which it did. Red
Wattlebirds and Blackbirds have also flown into the window - some
casualties.
Anthea Fleming
Ivanhoe, Vic.
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