This raptor was flying around the house early one morning,chasing small birds
It was hard to tell what type it was,I used my L 400 lens to try and get some
pics for identification.
It appears to be a Brown Goshawk,(Accipiter fasciatus) a 'sub adult' female.
ref:The Field Guide of Birds of Australia,by Pizzy and Knight.
While not prize winning pics,this lens has really helped with my interest in natural history,-in this case,not only did a ID take place-but extra info was also obtained,which i would not have been able to gain if i did'nt have this wonderful lens.
Great shots, Chris, especially the one showing the swooping dive, with the bird's neck twisted to maintain the visual 'lock-on' with its target.
I'm a birder who prefers photographic identification to hand-drawn, so I double-checked your ID with Simpson & Days' Field Guide. As is too often the case, their painted illustration captures the markings, but their colouration is misleading: your bird's under-plumage is plainly in shades of brown, rather than the grey tones in the book.
Thanks for sharing these action shots with us - I love watching raptors!
