Dan

Admittedly this is not greatest picture, but its on of my favorites.  This is a Northern Goshawk (NOGO) sitting on her nest.  Goshawks are, in my humble opinion, one of North America's most beautiful raptors.  They are fiercely territorial and will dive bomb any intruder that gets too close to their nest while screaming out their unique alarm call.  They are the perfect combination of beauty and power.  My summer job (for the past 31 years) is as a wildlife technician for the U.S. Forest Service.  Part of my job is to find and monitor NOGO nests.  It isn't easy to find a NOGO let alone their nest.  After researching this bird and from experience I know that I need to look in mature to over mature forests, on north or east facing slopes near running water and usually below 7,ooo ft elevation.  I have to visit each nest 2 or 3 times during the nesting season to track the progress and success of the nest.  I try not to disturb the birds when I do this, but I have been put on the ground many times by an angry adult over the years.  It's a bit unnerving for both the bird and me.  That's one of the reasons I like this photo.  It shows the bird on the cryptically constructed nest, watching me intently, waiting to see if I'll approach too close.  I've learned to respect that look.  I can get all the info I need for this visit; the nest is active with an incubating or brooding adult.  While I would love to get a closer picture, approaching closer would most likely initiate her defense behaviors, causing her a lot of stress (this nest was close to a logging road so she already had enough stress in her life).  So I left. Unfortunately, when I returned for a follow up visit I found the nest abandoned and it hasn't been used since.