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Steve Wolfe  > The Red-Tail Hawks of Kaiser Hospital, Harbor City, California > June 15-19 --- Waiting and Feeding
In the week after the whirlwind events of June 11 the activities of the Kaiser Red-tail family seemed to settle down to the hawklets being brought food about 3 times a day or spending time perched on favorite spots, usually on the main hospital building or at a nearby tree. The 3 siblings seem to be venturing outside the Vermont/Normandie/Pacific Coast Highway triangle of the main hospital campus; they've been spotted on the Normandie buildings across the street and I've seen one fly over to Harbor Park, a rich source of food. They still don't appear to be able to hunt on their own yet and Mom is looking, well, increasingly frazzled...There hasn't been a definite sighting of Dad for about 2 weeks; he seems to be like a ghost on the periphery. Friends are jokingly calling him a "deadbeat" or "just another typical guy"...
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Steve Wolfe > then flies off in the seemingly never-ending search for food for her children.  She'd just dropped off food to the hawklets who are just around the corner, but she's always on the lookout for more...
Steve Wolfe > It appears as if there's some food on the rooftop.  I believe this is the youngest brother looking on as the oldest female chows down.
Steve Wolfe > Can he REALLY see any better with his head upside-down like that?  It's a reminder that their necks are very flexible, leading to some comical-looking stances...
Steve Wolfe > No explanation needed here....
Steve Wolfe > People watching the hawks have asked, "Why do they hang out on the edges of the buildings where is looks like a wind gust might blow them off at any time?"  I don't know the answer to that, but I'm just happy that they do at this stage of their development, otherwise I wouldn't be able to see them....As it is, they're still pretty far away, but my superzoom Panasonic FZ20 is still up to the challenge.
Steve Wolfe > But then I notice something that stretches even the FZ20's capabilities.  Mom has dropped off a squirrel (? --- missing parts, so can't be sure) on a rooftop valve.  It's pretty far away and the area is in light/shadow, but what follows is interesting.  You can see it's pretty windy up there, and having your talons gripping a wheel can't be the most stable of perches --- but the hawklet still manages a "Thanks, Mom!"  or perhaps a "Couldn't you at least have put it out of the wind?"
Steve Wolfe > WHEEEEE!!  A sudden gust makes the hawklet a disorganized, feathery mess....
Steve Wolfe > But it's still determined to stay on the valves instead of dropping it to the roof.  A possible lesson in balance?
Steve Wolfe > It jumps from one valve to the other for at least 10 minutes, trying to find a suitable position to begin the feast...
then flies off in the seemingly never-ending search for food for her children. She'd just dropped off food to the hawklets who are just around the corner, but she's always on the lookout for more...
 > then flies off in the seemingly never-ending search for food for her children.  She'd just dropped off food to the hawklets who are just around the corner, but she's always on the lookout for more...
then flies off in the seemingly never-ending search for food for her children. She'd just dropped off food to the hawklets who are just around the corner, but she's always on the lookout for more...
Camera: Panasonic (Dmc-fz20) |
More details: exif |
Original size: 1002px x 665px |
Current: 400px x 266px |
Other sizes: Small • M • L |
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Keywords: june
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