Awesome Hawk!

I got out to the Community Gardens at Floyd Bennett Field about 8:00 on Saturday morning. I seemed to be the only one there. As I got out of the car there were phoebes, kinglets and yellow rumps flying and diving everywhere for yummie bugs. It was a very birdie day. When I came around the first corner I saw something on a fence in the back part. To be honest I thought it might be one of those fake owls at first, but it soon became apparent that it was something living and breathing.  It was this beautiful hawk. I was lucky to get a picture of it from its back side as well after in flew up into a tree.  The almost tear dropped feathers on his chest were beautiful. I believe this is a juvenile Northern Goshawk. I identified it by several factors. I could see the white stripe over it's eye especially apparent in the second picture. It's bill was two toned and his tail was striped. Life bird! There are a few rats that live in and forage in the gardens. Prey.

Know this is an old post. But the recent comment I got below added to my own questioning of the original ID. What do you think?

More Sparrows and Warblers in Community Gardens

I returned to Allen's Meadows last Saturday but the weather was such that there just wasn't alot going on. When I got back to Brooklyn I decided to try out the Community Gardens on Floyd Bennett Field. The Community Gardens at Allen's Meadows in Wilton are grest for birding so it only goes to say that the Community Gardens at Floyd Bennett Field should also be equally as great and they did not disappoint. There are more gardens and they back into some trees and brush in the back. The gardens themselves are interesting to walk thru and there were birds and more birds and Monarch Butterflies everywhere.

In the trees around a picnic area to the left of the gardens I saw brown creepers, red breasted nut hatch and other birds. I was hoping to see a Clay-Colored Sparrow that had been reported. I ran into some birders who said they had seen it an hour ago in the Berm by the crickett field. So I just kept going thru the gardens. I got two lifers.
From Floyd Bennett Field I saw:

A fluffy Red-Winged Blackbird

Inquisitive Palm Warbler

love the light on this Palm Warbler

I'd never seen such a bautiful colored Goldfinch

and Yes, finally, a Clay-Colored Sparrow - Life Bird
 

From Allen's Meadows in Wilton I saw:

Lincoln's Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

 

Not sure but think it is a Vesper Sparrow

It has been a great fall migration for me. I have seen a greater variety of migrating birds. Community Gardens are definately a great place to see them.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed the birds.