Well, I hate to go all enelsonbriefer on you, but while birding the grain
silo area at Myrtle Edwards Park on the waterfront in Seattle today, I saw
what I took to be a Juvenile Northern Goshawk, a first for me. I first
noticed its large size, accipiter shape, a lack of any reddish
coloring-brown, white, and gray only, lots of large white spots on its upper
back, and a moderate white stripe above the eye. The breast and belly were
well-streaked, with the feathers covering almost all of the legs. Sibley
said to look for an unevenly striped tail, but this wasn't obvious to me,
without an evenly striped tail at hand to compare it to.



It was perched about 15 ft. up in a small deciduous tree, behind the
bathrooms that are across from the bait shop at the fishing dock just NW of
the grain silo. I watched it preen for about 20 minutes, and was able to
circle the tree to look at all sides of the bird.



No camera. I just wish I could've made a raptor expert instantly appear to
confirm the sighting! Keep an eye out if you're birding in that area anytime
soon, and let me know if you see the bird. Thanks.



Mary Bond

Seattle, WA