There is something larger than life, yet strangely intangible, about the northern goshawk.
Some creatures are stitched so deeply into the fabric of their habitat that it becomes almost impossible to separate the two. So it is for goshawks and the densely forested landscapes they inhabit.
Goshawks are particularly fond of coniferous woodland. The anonymous, shadowy ranks of fir, spruce and hemlock seem to embody the bird's mysterious nature. Even the goshawk's sharply lineated plumage echoes the angular contrast of light and shadow in such places.
SECRETIVE AND SMART
The first thing to know about goshawks is that they can be extremely difficult to see in the wild - hence their popular name, phantoms of the forest. This secretive nature can be explained in part by the fact goshawks are ambush predators, requiring dense cover from which to launch an attack. Overgrown plantations punctuated by tracks, rides and glades offer such opportunities and goshawks often spend hours perching motionless on adjacent branches, watching and waiting for an opportunity.
Such hunting methods require a finely tuned mental map of complex three-dimensional environments, and an ability to learn from mistakes. There is little doubt that goshawks routinely plan hunts in meticulous detail before they even begin a chase. So the second thing to know about goshawks is that they are intelligent even calculating - in their ability to problem-solve and think ahead.
Thirdly, they are perfectly adapted and their to their wooded environment highly predatorial lifestyle. A deeply muscled chest designed for explosive acceleration; broad rounded wings; a long tail for balance; a shape-shifting ability to weave through branches at high speed; acute hearing; and pinsharp eyesight. All are supreme adaptations to hunting at speed below the tree canopy.
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av BBC Countryfile Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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We Are an Island Nation - So Let's Protect Our Seas - Living in the UK makes us islanders and personally I'm proud of that definition - not in any political or jingoistic sense, but simply because I love the sea and in this country we are totally surrounded by it.
Living in the UK makes us islanders and personally I'm proud of that definition - not in any political or jingoistic sense, but simply because I love the sea and in this country we are totally surrounded by it. We live inside thousands of miles of coastline, in a nation whose borders were created by nature and made us what we are.
Discover Jurassic Coast - With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular.
With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular. Jo Caird fossicks for fossils and dramatic rock formations. It's an auspicious start to my journey along the Jurassic Coast. This 95-mile stretch of shore mostly in Dorset, but nudging just into east Devon - is blessed with awe-inspiring geological formations and fossil deposits that have garnered it recognition as England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Snaking east from Orcombe Point near Exmouth to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, it's studded with monumental rock arches, seemingly endless shingle beaches and fossil beds from which treasures were prised that altered our understanding of prehistory.
Viking shores
We picture Vikings marauding coastal settlements, looting and raiding. But what was life really like in the Viking Age? Historian Eleanor Barraclough reveals what the ancient artefacts found on Britain's shores tell us about our formidable forebears
Sea horses
On Cornwall's coastal clifftops, Melanie O'Shea meets the hardy grazing ponies that are helping to restore the land, so nature can flourish once more
A wing and a prayer
From their desks at Boulmer, 1,000 RAF personnel watch the skies for airborne threats to the country. Yet beyond the concrete of the base, vulnerable birdlife flourishes - thanks to the hard work of a small team
Cast in bone
Cuttlefish bones washed up on our shores have been used to make jewellery since ancient times. Jo Caird meets a craftswoman who's keeping the art alive on the Kent coast
EDIBLE SEAWEEDS
An ancient food harvested by humans for millennia, seaweeds bring an intense and rich flavour of the sea to a wide range of dishes, as well as essential mind-and-body-boosting nutrients
Spines and sulky faces
Watch where you put your feet at the beach - a weever fish could be lurking
Sea stars
The playful performances of Britain's bottlenose dolphins attract avid fans - but they deserve personal space
Harris's wildly beautiful beach
Cornwall may pull in the crowds, but one Hebridean strand stuns visitors
