62

1916

102. Goshawk. When, early in April, I went to October Farm
Burbank informed me that a large Hawk had frequented it during
the latter part of the preceeding [preceding] winter and twice to his knowledge had
approached the poultry yard closely, thereby occasioning much alarm
among our fowls. Shortly after this I found in fresh grown places,
within or bordering extensive woodlands, feathered remains of no less
than four Ruffed Grouse all of which had been killed, plucked
and devoured - to the very last fleshy morsal [morsel] - evidently by some
large bird of prey who had voided his chalky white excrement
freely over more than one of the spots where it had feasted so
sumptuously. That it was a Goshawk can scarce be doubted for
on April 10 [April 10, 1916] I had a glympse [glimpse] of what looked like one
flying over Birch Field and on the 19th [April 19, 1916] fully identified a very
large female, also on wing and following precisely the same line
of flight as the first. As she passed me within 60 yards, in full
sunlight and a little below the tops of the taller trees, I could see that
she was not fully mature, the "blue" of her upper parts being somewhat
tinged with brownish and her under parts having course, dark
longitudinal streaks. She looked almost as big as an Osprey but 
resembled [a] Coopers Hawk in respect to form & proportion and had
much the same swift, gliding flight, performed, for the most part,
with only the occasional wing beats. It seemed suggestive alike
of irrisistable [irresistable] momentum and of stealthy, murderous intent.
How fear-inspiring to all lesser defenseless woodland creatures
must be the appearance of a Goshawk in their haunts. Once
fairly sighted and pursued by him even the wary and fleet-winged
Partridge can have but little if any chance of escape although
resourceful enough to commonly elude almost all other
predacious [predatory] birds & beasts.