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Steve Wolfe  > The Red-Tail Hawks of Kaiser Hospital, Harbor City, California > May 29 --- A Fledgling Grows Up
With one of the hawklets temporarily out of the scene, Mina and Willie still have their hands full with the other 2. On Thursday May 27, one day after First Flight for the 2 eldest fledglings, the 2nd First Flighter is checked out by the Wildlife Rehab people for trichinosis (prognosis: Negative). However, they can't get to the 3rd hawklet as it's still up near the nest, so it's unknown whether it too contracted the trich. A television crew from Channel 5 arrives, goes up on the roof of building opposite the nest, and interviews the SBWR volunteers and Kaiser's Dr. Neil Gulati. On Friday the 28 the 3rd hawklet finally takes the plunge (hopefully not literally) and joins Mom, Dad and sibling in exploring the trees and buildings on the Kaiser campus. As they don't hunt on their own yet, Mom (mostly) and Dad must make deliveries to wherever the hawklets are...
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Steve Wolfe > But first...Here's a Hawk's eye-view of the Kaiser campus taken from my "perch" during the nest-watching period.   This is a 3-photo panorama taken from approximately the same level as the nest and thus would be the Red-tails' territory as they would view it.  The nest itself on the Parkview building would be to the left just out of the picture.  During this fledging period when the hawklets begin flight training they are to found at or near the main hospital building located at the center right.  Mina and Willie cross Vermont Avenue and head for the plentiful food supply at Harbor Park in the background on the left.  During the earlier nesting period Mina would always make sure that she had the nest within sight whenever she was away from it just in case there were any unwelcome visitors. As a Red-tails's eyesight is 8 times more powerful than a human's, she could perch fairly far away and still see the nestlings.
Steve Wolfe > The older hawklet has already taken up Mina and Willie's habit of peering into the windows of the main hospital building.  There have been many patients staying in the hospital who've been astonished --- and excited --- to look out their windows only to see a Red-tailed Hawk gazing back intently at them. Their presence here is regarded as therapy by many...
Steve Wolfe > Here's the older hawklet hovering in the wind way up on a corner of the main building.  It will soon become a Wind Master, riding wind currents to provide lift for soaring,  and  catching rising columns of air called "thermals" to help it gain altitude.  But at the beginning it's Practice, Practice, Practice....
Steve Wolfe > On Saturday May 29 I come upon the youngest perched on the railing atop Pathology.  While it looks determined here...
Steve Wolfe > it also looks slightly hesitant, as if saying "Can I really make it up there to the top without crashing?"  Perhaps it had seen its sibling smack into the window on Wednesday and has the proverbial "cold feet"...If it does, I wouldn't blame it.
Steve Wolfe > Or maybe it's just wondering, "Where's Mom and my meal?"
Steve Wolfe > As it turns out, Mom is on a nearby roof with...
Steve Wolfe > a tasty squirrel.  Delivery by Red(tail)Ex...This pic and the following 3 were taken using the Panasonic FZ20's High Burst Mode at 3 frames per second.  You can see Mina has the talons of her right foot holding the tail while her left are wrapped around the body.
Steve Wolfe > Jen from the South Bay Wildlife Rehab says that Mina the Mom's hormones are "racing" right now to the point where she thinks only of providing food for herself and her children. According to Charles Preston in Wild Bird Guides'  "Red-tailed Hawk", food during the nestling period (i.e., when the young are in the nest) is delivered about 10 to 15 times a day during daylight hours only with each chick given 8 to 18 ounces of food by the parents.  During the present "fledgling" period, the parents continue to provide food but may provide live prey to the juveniles, perhaps in an effort to teach them how to kill.
As it turns out, Mom is on a nearby roof with...
 > As it turns out, Mom is on a nearby roof with...
As it turns out, Mom is on a nearby roof with...
Camera: Panasonic (Dmc-fz20) |
More details: exif |
Original size: 1056px x 690px |
Current: 400px x 262px |
Other sizes: Small • M • L |
Share photo: links, forums, blogs |
Keywords: may
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