Urban Accipiters

I had never been to Berlin before, but as a natural wanderer of the earth, it wasn't long before the city was calling me to visit. Now you might think as a wildlife photographer and all around nature nerd, why was I visiting a bustling city full of people and tourists, but within this metropolis of sight seeing buses and beeping taxis, lives a bird which is the epitome of a raptor.

With now 100 pairs breeding in the city, the northern goshawk is truly thriving within this concrete jungle. This is a bird which I have been wanting to see for so many years and have only been treated with a tiny dot within a scope as a 'view'. This was not good enough for me, so I decided to combine my love of travel with my love of raptors and go in search of these magnificent birds.

I couldn't quite contain my excitement when morning broke. Walking through the tall woodlands of Berlin's Tiergarten park, a stronghold for these birds, I could see why they loved to call this place their home. Late February is a great time to see them as there was no foliage, these birds disappear well enough without it, and it is the prime time to witness their courtship displays. It wasn't long until we had our first glimpse. High above the trees, into the cold cobalt sky, a piercing black outline of a goshawk was soaring high.

I was craving more. I had read about these birds in Berlin for the last few years and each time I saw an image of their piercing eyes, I was determined to photograph them. Whilst admiring an urban kingfisher awaiting his catch of the day, I heard a sudden 'swoosh' and a feathered torpedo plunged pass at a speed undeniably 'goshawky'. As my focus was suddenly taken away from the kingfisher bobbing upon the branch in the slow breeze, I followed the action. We were in the heart of their territory.

Tuning in to their calls, we followed the iconic 'ka ka ka' call from one bird to the other and there she was. Within the treetops, bumbling around on branches too small for her weight, a female Gos. Her presence hit me and I was utterly speechless, I couldn't believe what I was looking at. Taking a look through my binoculars, her piercing orange eyes took my focus and I was enthralled. My inner bird nerd was on fire "oh my god, oh my god" were the only words that could break through my muted trance. We soon located their half built nest in a tree high in the canopy, with the male resting nearby in what seemed to be his favourite tree, the female was making her presence known to both us, and him. I couldn't stop staring at them and their steel grey plumage against the bright sky, complimenting their penetrating gaze. This was a definitely a bird you wouldn't want to come up against.

We visited this pair the whole weekend, following their calls, gazing upon their delight even when the male was tucking into a meal. I took a moment and just watched. A bird so highly persecuted in the UK, was more than happy for me to join him for his dinner as he sat above me, indulging in his catch, I felt honoured. As I admired him, more and more people gathered under his treetop pantry, wandering what I was looking at and we soon pointed him out to the locals. Some knowing them well, some not, we hopefully inspired them to keep looking up as well as to relish in their presence, for they were lucky.

This was a nature filled weekend, which I will treasure for many years. If you want a goshawk filled weekend, Berlin is your answer.