Tulsa Red-tails-Cavert's 2009 Juvenile Roundup, Langenheim Park

Photograph by Cheryl Cavert
Another installment from Tulsa's Cheryl Cavert about Tulsa's 2009 Red-tailed juveniles with some wonderful photographs--

One Sunday morning in July, I spotted one of the Langenheim Park juvies across the street from the park, calling out hungrily. When I had parked and gotten out, the juvie was on a building on one side of the street and a parent was across the street on another building. As I was looking into the sun, I decided to walk around one of the buildings to get the sun behind me but did not want to walk between the hawks. As I rounded the building, I could hear lots of juvie calls, ending with a loud screech. When I first came around the corner, the sight of the juvie in the street alarmed me - until I saw the rat peeking out.

Photograph by Cheryl Cavert
The parent watched from an overhead power line while the juvie tried to get control of the rat and figure out what to do with it next.


Photograph by Cheryl Cavert
I stood guard at the corner to slow any cars turning onto the street.


Photograph by Cheryl Cavert
(This stance so reminds me of a domestic cat, another predator. D. B.)


Photograph by Cheryl Cavert
After about ten minutes, one did turn in slowly hugging the opposite side of the road but the juvie flew off to the park. I followed the juivie over to the park and started walking amongst the trees, wondering how far it had flown off. Then the juvie started calling out again in some trees to my left, a loud screech-and the rat fell out of the tree!!!!! Of course shortly followed by the juvie who once again tried to figure out what to do with it before flying off with the now limp rat towards the creek and more trees.

NEXT- Introducing another RT Hawk neighbor to the north of Kay and Jay!!!
Cheryl