Sunday 16 December 2018

Re: [Maine-birds] GREAT BLACK HAWK - YES, 16 Dec

To add some details to today's (16 Dec) sighting:

After an hour of walking around Deering Oaks, I spotted the bird while driving up Deering Ave around 2:50PM then ran to the park and get others on the bird. It stayed in the backyard of apartments between Grant Street and Sherman Street for most of our observation. We talked with the residents on either side and everyone was happy to know the hawk was still around (most were well aware that it has been in the park) and fine with observers watching from the street. The bird has reportedly been eating a squirrel in a yard, across from 133 Grant Street, for the last couple days - the yard is covered in peanut shells as one of the residents is apparently a big fan of squirrel-feeding.

Shortly after 4:00PM the bird flew west across Deering Ave and eventually into a spruce behind a blue-roofed pink-trimmed building. There is a little half-acre green space visible on aerial maps (triangulated by Congress, Grant, and Deering) that the bird appears to be roosting in. I left around 4:25PM (getting pretty dark) and the hawks looked fully settled into the lone spruce there.

I think we are fortunate that Portlanders seem so aware of this hawk but given this new location - not a public park - I want to encourage any onlookers to be especially aware of where you are standing and where you are looking. Please do not trespass and be aware that looking around apartments with binoculars and cameras early in the morning (or anytime of the day) could be especially alarming to people who are not aware of your intentions. I often feel like we are preaching to the choir about ethical behavior on this listserv so my greatest hope is that anyone watching this bird will help encourage everyone else on site to be mindful.

Glad it is still around!

Doug Hitchcox
Maine Audubon

> On Dec 16, 2018, at 2:54 PM, 'Doug Hitchcox' via Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> Just found the Great Black Hawk in a backyard between Grant St and Sherman St, visible from Deering Ave. The homeowner said it's been eating a squirrel there for the last two days.
>
>
> Doug Hitchcox
> Maine Audubon
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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