Willie bringing home the bacon --- well, maybe the rat-atouille...Red-tails are opportunistic hunters, and I've seen Mina and Willie bringing home pigeons, gulls, mice and squirrels. Their hunting extends to Harbor Park across the street, where I've seen them circling in the sky or sitting on a tree branch looking for a fresh meal. - Lone Wolfe Photography- powered by SmugMug

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Steve Wolfe > Willie bringing home the bacon --- well, maybe the rat-atouille...Red-tails are opportunistic hunters, and I've seen Mina and Willie bringing home pigeons, gulls, mice and squirrels. Their hunting extends to Harbor Park across the street, where I've seen them circling in the sky or sitting on a tree branch looking for a fresh meal.

Steve Wolfe > It's now April 13 and that fuzzy shadow between Willie's legs is my first sighting of a baby. Most of the hospital staff's "hawk watchers" believe the egg(s) (no one's quite sure how many yet) hatched on April 10, when Mina started spending more time at the nest.

Steve Wolfe > Mina tearing up food. Those talons and sharp beak are probably more efficient than our hands. And like all hawks, the Red-tail's talons are its main weapons.

Steve Wolfe > On April 14 I get my first good look at the babies --- and there are 2 of them! That's average for Red-Tails. The last time Mina and WIllie had successful hatchings there were 3 but one fell out --- or was pushed out --- of the nest a few weeks later. Some hospital staff buried the little fellow in the ground near the nest and rumor has it that Mina was seen standing at the gravesite...Here Mina is delicately feeding one of her chicks. I used the rapid-fire burst mode on my camera to get sequential shots of many of the following feeding sessions. The following photo was taken a second or two after this one.

Steve Wolfe > The Progression by Weeks: April 10 - 17 photo

Steve Wolfe > Looks like this one could be singing "O Sole Mio".....

Willie bringing home the bacon --- well, maybe the rat-atouille...Red-tails are opportunistic hunters, and I've seen Mina and Willie bringing home pigeons, gulls, mice and squirrels. Their hunting extends to Harbor Park across the street, where I've seen them circling in the sky or sitting on a tree branch looking for a fresh meal.