NAME THAT OWL, Pale Male and Lola, Papa and Mama, Athena and Atlas the Astoria Park Red-tails

Young Sadie and the Horvath's new educational Screech Owl pose for the camera complete with teeny jesses. Screech Owl has a permanently damaged wing and therefore is unreleasable.

And dear me, Little Owl hasn't a name as yet. Mom and wildlife rehabilitator Cathy Horvath suggested a naming contest, an excellent idea, so here we go! NAME THAT OWL!

To enter your choice click on "Contact Me" in the left column of the mainpage and send me an email with the subject line, NAME THAT OWL!


Remember Samantha the Raven? As Ravens were a topic of conversation wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath sent these photos of some young Ravens that came into the Horvaths care.

Just look at that wide red gape! No trouble getting his beak open to feed him.

An excellent and large example of the opening of feather sheaths. Corvids are known for their intelligence and Ravens are at the top of the heap. They are social, "talk" to each other, are clever and dynamite problem solvers. With a face, particularly when young, that for some, might take a little getting used to.

Edgar Alan Poe had a pet Raven named Ague who spoke English. Ague is now stuffed and resides in the vaults of the main repository of the Philadelphia Library.

And here we have two very healthy, shiny, mostly grown up Ravens.

Bobby says,"Before the young Ravens were put outside and wilded up for release, which they were."

More from Bobby Horvath, who is also a firefighter, about the Astoria Park Red-tail nest of Athena and Atlas--

While at work yesterday I had training at Randalls Island so for lunch I took the rig and the crew back over the Triboro to Astoria to take advantage of the weather and park. We picked up sandwiches and headed to Astoria park. While there I checked on the mom and she’s in last years nest under the bridge and it looked like 1 small head popping up. Hope all goes well for them and all the rest of the nesting pairs in the city.

Last season there had been construction under the bridge. One of the Astoria eyasses came down near the construction within a little fenced area and though it did the usual begging the parents didn't feed him and he went into the Horvath's care for a bit. He then came back to the park where the parents fed and trained him like the good Red-tail parents that they normally are. It was suggested that perhaps the noise or nearby chaos of the construction had somehow disrupted the natural feeding of the youngster by the parents. I asked Bobby if there was still construction occurring in the nest area.

Here is Bobby's answer--

Yes there still is. They are working on the same side of the nest about 100 north of it using a huge orange portable hi lo that gets the workers up to bridge height. I spoke to them about the situation and they said they will do the best they can not to further disturb her but I don't think she has too much problem with them or she wouldn't have made it to this point.

And a mini update from Jeff Kolbrunner, watcher of Papa and Mama also of Queens--

Friday, April 3, 2009 10:44 PM Today late this afternoon there were many nest exchanges between Mama and Papa as they took turns minding the nest while the other took flight. Unfortunately, the light was bad as it is totally in the shade at this hour and very difficult to get any good action photos.

ANOTHER NEST TO WATCH--A new nest in Queens cheek by jowl with Mama and Papa's nest, rather like N1 and N2 on County trunk M. (Nest 2 was severely damaged in a storm early in the season. That pair, after being seen doing courtship flights seems to have rebuilt elsewhere.)

FROM JEFF--

AND YES, another nest to watch. We confirmed today it's on a water tower I-Beam just on the South border of Briarwood and Mama and Papa's territory. I'm surprised it's so close to Mama and Papa's area. Maybe one of their prior fledges, a few went in that direction the last couple years. I took some photos but didn't get a good one of the parent who hunkered down in the bowl as we approached.

FROM ANNA EVERETT, WHO HAS BEEN WATCHING THE NEST ON FIFTH AVE. OF PALE MALE AND LOLA--

Yesterday and today, Lola now is restless. She gets in and out of the nest, looks around, fixes her feathers, steps carefully back into the middle of the nest, sits and then gets up again. We are anxiously waiting for any sign of feeding.

AS ARE WE ALL!!!

Donegal Browne

Do the Ms Have a Hatch? Pale Male Jr. and Charlotte Update and What Happens to Abandoned Eggs

WHAT IS UP WITH MRS. M?

Something is, because she never ever turns her back on me. Therefore there is something out there more important or threatening than myself.

She looks up. I look up but as her eyes are much better than mine, I see nothing and she very much looks like she is seeing something.

It's about 70 degrees, but much warmer if the sun is beating down on you. Look closely and you'll see her beak is separated slightly for a bit of a pant.

There she goes turning her back on me again.

Check me to the left.

Check me to the right.

Another check...

And she stands.

She preens her brood patch.

Her upper breast and then back into the nest.

She twists round a bit.

Gives me one of her "Don't try it Missy!" looks.

Then looks north and east.

The gleaming eye glare.

Right.

Left.

And suddenly, as if she can't wait another second, up she comes for a mighty stretch.

Full body glare.

She looks into the far side of the bowl.

Then directly below.

What's this?

Has there been a hatch? Is an eyass pipping?

Then towards the treeline. Should Dad be arriving?

???

And a deep and satisfying preen to the chest. At which point the intense sunlight after a very long and dim winter begins to get very uncomfortable and I can see my skin starting to turn bright red.

Time to go home, though there has been progress. Actually each time she got out of the nest I had retreated to the inside of the car. I'd get back out and she'd get back down. Until the end when either tired of the drill or she was in the midst of an irresistible urge to preen, she remained standing. I hopped into the car and left to reinforce the behavior.

WHAT'S THE SCOOP ON PALE MALE JR. AND CHARLOTTE'S NEST?

I ASKED HAWKWATCHER BRETT ODOM IF THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE EGG AS THAT'S ALL WE'D SEEN SO FAR---

Hey Donna.

There is definitely only one egg this year. Charlotte left the nest unattended yesterday for a few minutes and with yesterday being such a beautiful day here I could see clearly inside that there is only one egg. I'm going to try to come in over the weekend both days to see if the egg gets replaced with an eyass.

Brett B. Odom

THANKS BRETT.

AND WHAT HAVE THE FOLKS FROM THE TULSA HAWK NEST FORUM BEEN DOING SINCE KAY AND JAY ABANDONED THEIR NEST?

FROM SALLY OF KENTUCKY--

Dear Donna,

Well, I watch the nest cam whenever it is on the nest, which is much less frequently, and Kay and Jay have been spotted visiting the nest and on the tower itself by viewers on the ground. Yesterday the cam operator caught Kay on the nest and then followed her on her soaring flight across the neighborhood and over the river which was awesome.

I have attached caps from what I am watching:

--Portland fire escape RTH nest has hatched #1 of 3, and I think I saw a crack in a second egg;

--Sutton Center Eaglet "JJ" growing up fast; "Ethyl" is still brooding and turning the remaining unhatched egg, obviously has no clue it won't hatch.


--Norfolk eaglet trio being fed this morning by BOTH parents-quite a task to feed those 3 hungry mouths, and I am happy that the littlest one is nearly the same size as its siblings.

PLUS SALLY SAW WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING FOR ON FIFTH AVENUE EACH YEAR AFTER PALE MALE AND LOLA HAVE RETREATED FROM THE NEST TO NO AVAIL WHY TO NO AVAIL? IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN AT THE FIFTH AVENUE NEST IF THE EGGS OF THE 2008 SEASON WERE TYPICAL. . WHEN I LOOKED DOWN TO PHOTOGRAPH THE NEST FROM THE ROOF AFTER AN ENTIRE WINTER, THE EGGS STILL LOOKED PERFECT.

MORE FROM SALLY--

--And a visitor to Kay and Jay's nest-we've seen the starlings removing hunks of bark and grasses from the bowl, and one also punched a hole in one egg and appeared to be drinking from it a few days ago. Whatever happened after that we don't know, but the egg was missing from the nest the following morning.

Sally

DONEGAL BROWNE

NYC Red-tails:Pale Male & Lola, Pale Male Jr. & Charlotte, Mama & Papa

A year ago today, Pale Male and Lola look at their eggs. And just like a year ago, if there is to be a hatch it is due to happen any day now.

FROM JEFF KOLLBRUNNER AN UPDATE ON MAMA AND PAPA

Hi Donna,

I was able to confirm yesterday afternoon (4/14) that Mama and Papa have had at least two hatches. My angle of view didn't show the entire nest bowl to the bottom. However, I did see two white fluffy heads pop up when Mama walked around the perimeter of the nest. There still could be an additional youngster, time will tell.

I had observed Mama sitting higher in her nest and in a slightly different position on April 5th, she was even a bit higher on April 8th. So the first hatch was most likely on April 5th with subsequent hatches thereafter. The youngest hatchling is now about ten days young and the youngest about 6-7 days young. The youngsters appear to be the appropriate size for the observed changes in Mama's nesting habits of 4/5 through 4/8. As you are aware Mama started to overnight in her nest on March 7th.

As always we will continue to watch and report on Mama and Papa's family regularly.

All the best, Jeff
www.jknaturegallery.com/

FROM BRETT ODOM AN UPDATE ON PALE MALE JR. AND CHARLOTTE--
Hey Donna.

I just thought I would provide you with a brief update on the 888 7th Ave. nest. The weather has been terrible the last few days and, as I have mentioned before, the only way to see through the glass into the nest is on cloudless, bright sunny days. On the few occasions that the clouds have broken and the sun has shone I have seen Charlotte patiently sitting on the nest.

Every once and a while she will take a break from the nest and perch on the ledge scanning the avenue below. I very rarely see Junior fly in. Actually, I haven't seen him at all in the last few days, but if he's quick enough I'm not surprised if I miss him.

Based on my calculations and the earliest that the egg could have been laid, the evening of Friday, March 20th (the egg was not there during the day while I was at work on Friday) the earliest possible hatch date would be this Saturday. However, I'm thinking it will be a little later than that since I only actually first saw the egg on Tuesday, March 24. It is possible it was laid sometime over the weekend and I just didn't see it on Monday when I returned to work. I'll keep you posted of what I see during the next few days.

Hopefully this coming Monday we will see an eyass.

Brett B. Odom

THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL PARK NEST PLOT THICKENS

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAT GONZALEZ--MARCH 27th, 2009

Donegal:

I was very excited when I read about the next in the building at the Botanical Garden. Funny, I was telling my best friend that the best, and safest place on the grounds they could build a nest was at the building because the folks there respect wildlife and there is 24 hour security.

I do have a question. A while back I sent you the attached photo of the largest nest I've ever seen. I came across it by accident while at the garden. Is this a hawk nest? I took the photo on March 27th. What do you think?

Pat

First off Pat, as it is tough to tell from a photograph, could you take a gander at approximate size for me?

Two, it could be a nest in progress as a second choice for the season or maybe it has been a catch place for twigs and small branches that have broken from the tree, landed, and then gotten hung up.

But let's think nest for now.

A Red-tail nest not only has lateral branches but the hawks interweave a great many twigs from top to bottom as well as from side to side to keep things together. This "structure" doesn't seem to have much in the way of top to bottom sticks. Did the Great Horned Owls run off the RT pair and it was left unfinished? Was it a second choice nest that was never used? Or was it an active nest that is now just quite old and falling apart?

The plot thickens!

D.B.

P.S. Quite a number of posts today, so keep scrolling down until you find one you've read already.

MORE MYSTERY BIRDS AT THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

PHOTOGRAPH BY DONEGAL BROWNE
Tree Swallow--the likely culprit for the current NYBG Mystery Bird


Black Skimmers courtesy of Steve Calver,
US Army Corps of Engineers
www.dnr.state.md.us/.../blackskimmer.asp


Donegal:

Yesterday, while at the twin lakes area at the NY Botanical Garden, I saw dozens of these birds skimming the water. They wouldn't land anywhere, just swooping across the lake. I couldn't get a clean shot with my camera. I posted the footage on youtube. Any ideas?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HPpUrHk8sY&feature=channel_page
Pat


Some possible options from New York City's Robert DiCandido--
Hi Pat,
One of three species of swallow - perhaps a mix since I cannot see the details.
In order of probability:
Tree Swallow
Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow

Hope this helps,
rdc/nyc


Hi Pat,

Your video reminded me of a larger skimming bird we sometimes get in Central Park. I've not seen Swallows work the Model Boat Pond but I have seen Black Skimmers doing something slightly similar. We get them fishing near Pale Male and Lola's nest sometimes. Though active in the daytime, we've also seen them skim after full dark. As to what the Skimmers do exactly, this from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds--

"The remarkable bill of the Black Skimmer is what sets it apart from all other American birds. The large red and black bill is knife-thin and the lower mandible is longer than the upper. The bird drags the lower bill through the water as it flies along, hoping to catch small fish."

(There is also an African Skimmer and an Indian Skimmer. D.B.)
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Black_Skimmer.html

D.B.

Momma and Papa in Queens Have a Hatch!

More on this to come including photos but in the meantime, Jeff Kollbrunner of www.jknaturegallery.com/, chief watcher of Mama and Papa, noticed that Momma had shifted her sitting position on April 5th, then a week or so passed and he was able to see two little fluffy white heads above the rim of the nest. There may be a third as there sometimes is, we'll have to wait and see.

D.B.

Hawkeye and Rose

First Fledge Day, 2007, Mama Rose has a bite plus tempts her newly fledged youngster to a safer spot with food. That is she had a bite before the fledgling leapt over, she took flight to get out of the way, and he had the dinner.

From Chris Lyons, one of the chief watchers of Hawkeye and Rose over numerous seasons, including those during their nest tending on the pediment of Collins Hall at Fordham, has some thoughts and some hawk history for us--

Hawkeye and Rose have left the campus. At least they aren't using their nest on Collins Hall. I hadn't had much time to check on them lately (I was away during the period they'd normally start incubating), but I was hearing from others that there was no activity there. I went up on the roof of Dealy Hall to look down on the nest, and noted a lack of fresh conifer branches--the only spot of green came from wild onions growing out of the decaying sticks from last season. I wondered if the nearby construction of new dorm buildings (several hundred feet away) had been enough of a disturbance to them to make them go elsewhere--even though the disturbance was nowhere near what Pale Male & Lola or the Cathedral Hawks have endured in the past. Hawkeye and Rose aren't Manhattan Red-Tails, and their tolerance levels may not be as high.

Then Bruce Yolton brought this to my attention--a new nest at the New York Botanical Garden, in a very familiar-looking spot--

http://www.nybg.org/wordpress/?p=2205

I have not been able to get a close look at the adults using this nest, and I can't currently confirm they're Hawkeye and Rose. But looking at the location of the nest, the type of human structure it's built upon, and the profusion of coniferous branches on top of it, I can only assume it's one or both of them--and I have no reason to think they'd abandon their territory, of which Fordham is just one part.

If they are the pair using this Botanical Garden nest, this would be their sixth known breeding season--

2004: Nested on a fire escape on Creston Avenue, just west of the Grand Concourse, near Fordham Rd. Hatched two eyasses, who were then removed and sent to a rehabilitator, who released them upstate. Rose was found injured shortly afterwards, and taken to Bobby Horvath, who released her some weeks later, in the same location she was found, where she was reunited with Hawkeye.

2005: Nested fairly low in an oak tree near the Walsh Library on the Fordham campus, raised and fledged two young.

2006: Moved to the pediment atop Collins Hall on the campus, raised and fledged three young.

2007: Ditto.

2008: The same again.

2009: The saga continues....?

Now here's where it gets interesting, and this is why I'm not surprised at all that they moved to the NYBG. See, back in 2004 (and I believe 2005 as well), there was a completely different pair of Red-Tails nesting at the NYBG--on the same building, I believe, though on a window ledge, not a pediment.

In 2006, that nest became inactive, much to the disappointment of people working at the Mertz Library (I can relate). It was also in 2006 that I saw Hawkeye and Rose get into a shouting match with another adult Red-Tail, who got very close to their new nest on Collins Hall, before Hawkeye chased him off. This was presumably one of many territorial battles between the two local pairs, whose territories shared a border. When Hawkeye and Rose were nesting on Creston Avenue, the nest sites were far enough apart to avoid serious problems, but they then proceeded to annex the Fordham campus, moving their nest further to the east in two successive years--and now they were definitely too close for comfort. Somebody had to move.

What happened to the original NYBG pair is hard to say--my guess is that they ceded at least part of Bronx Park to the redoubtable Hawkeye and Rose. But most of that story will never be known.

So assuming this is the same pair that nested at Fordham, they were clearly hunting in the Botanical Garden with impunity by 2008, and may have even built a preliminary nesting platform on the Mertz Library--then opted to nest on Collins Hall for a third straight season.

Then there was a large noisy construction project near their old digs (it couldn't have helped). Food on the campus may have become less plentiful, in no small part due to their success as predators--and the Botanical Garden is a much richer habitat (there are Eastern Chipmunks there, for one thing--ideal Red-Tail prey).

And the fact is, most Red-Tails are not loyal to the same nest-site year after year. Pale Male has been the distinct exception in this regard. In the overwhelming majority of cases, Red-Tailed Hawks will change the location of their nest every few years, even if they have enjoyed perfect reproductive success at the existing location. Even if it's a nest on a building. The pediment on Collins Hall had proven to be a near-perfect location for a nest--but they had a very similar pediment to nest on at the Mertz Library, which for them is just a few wing-flaps away. I hate to say it, but moving was a no-brainer. And these two have repeatedly proven to possess exceptionally sharp and sensible hawk-brains,


2007-Hawkeye and Rose's nest on the pediment of Collins Hall, Fordham, complete with eyasses napping in the corner. The third had made her break off the nest earlier in the day.

Then there was a large noisy construction project near their old digs (it couldn't have helped). Food on the campus may have become less plentiful, in no small part due to their success as predators--and the Botanical Garden is a much richer habitat (there are Eastern Chipmunks there, for one thing--ideal Red-Tail prey).

And the fact is, most Red-Tails are not loyal to the same nest-site year after year. Pale Male has been the distinct exception in this regard. In the overwhelming majority of cases, Red-Tailed Hawks will change the location of their nest every few years, even if they have enjoyed perfect reproductive success at the existing location. Even if it's a nest on a building. The pediment on Collins Hall had proven to be a near-perfect location for a nest--but they had a very similar pediment to nest on at the Mertz Library, which for them is just a few wing-flaps away. I hate to say it, but moving was a no-brainer. And these two have repeatedly proven to possess exceptionally sharp and sensible hawk-brains,

So that's where it stands. I can't visit the new nest very often, so I'm not going to be posting regular reports. There is no equivalently good higher vantage point to observe the Mertz Library nest, so photography will be more challenging. I will try to confirm that these Red-Tails are the same ones I've been watching for the past four years. And whoever they are, I wish them luck. Even if they're not nesting directly on the campus, they would still very much consider Fordham part of their domain, and thus I still reckon myself one of their subjects. Long may they reign.

Anyway, I just found out today that a pair of American Robins are building a nest right outside my office--I can turn around and watch them from my desk. One door closes, another opens. ;)

Chris Lyons

Chris, as you say one door closes another opens but still, I'll miss your wonderful reports concerning Hawkeye and Rose, as I'm sure, though we know they know best, you will miss seeing them as frequently as you did in the past. Collins Hall had turned into one of the best, if not the best spot for RT nest observation in the city. Who knows what might happen in a year or two. They might well decide it was time to move back in.

It would be lovely if you could clarify whether it is Hawkeye and Rose in the NYBG as you're one of the few who know them well enough to do it. Also thank you so much for the wonderful Hawk History of Hawkeye and Rose.

As to the Robins, how nicely handy of them to allow you to make observations from your office chair. I must say, I enjoyed the accessible nest of Robins I watched a year or two ago very much.

Best,

Donna

Dear Readers,

If you didn't click on the link while reading through, do it. The new nest site's shape and position is quite fascinating.

Something else I noticed during my visit, the hawk pictured, if that is indeed one of the hawks building the nest on the Library Building, is neither Hawkeye or Rose.

The bird is too young.

Look at her eyes. Those eyes belong to most likely a two or three year old Red-tail. (John Blakeman could make a more precise estimate, I'm betting.) But whatever that birds exact age, any bird with light eyes cannot be either Hawkeye or Rose as they're more than twice that age.

I'm wondering if this could be a young adult who fledged from the pediment of Collins Hall, and found the new nest site to be pretty darn close to "just like home". I'd much rather that, or a pair who came to similar conclusions about their criteria as Hawkeye and Rose did, than the other worrisome possibility which may also have entered other's heads as well as mine.

D.B.

MONDAY MISCELLANY-FOX, EAGLES, WOLVES

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAREN ANNE KOLLING
FROM THE GONZO DECK OF KAREN ANNE KOLLING IN RI--
Hi,
My cousin Muriel from next door tells me my cousin Bev who lives five houses down the street has seen a baby fox, which she at first thought was a cat :-) I am hoping I might see the baby fox at some point, needless to say.

This seems to mean that baby foxes are produced when it is still quite cold out; we've still had a couple of days this past week or two when it got below freezing at night, although it was "working in the garden" weather yesterday. The crocus and now daffodils are blooming here.

The fox was on the deck eating peanuts for just a minute or two just now, and then bolted away, and a moment later I saw my cousin walking her little dog in what is traditionally our mutual yard, since our families have owned both houses since they were built in the 1920s. The fox gives the dog a wide berth. I wonder if I can convince Muriel to walk the dog at other than the fox's usual appearance time:-)

It seems that the baby fox was by himself when Bev saw him. I wonder how far from the den he goes and how much his Mom supervises him.

It appears that my deck visiting fox is female. I've been emailing photos to my friend who is a vet, and that's what he thinks, so I'm referring to the baby fox as he out of gender equal opportunityism and to prevent confusion. If the deck fox is the Mom, I certainly haven't seen her being noticeably pregnant, and, assuming this is the same fox all the time, I first saw her at the beginning of March.

As there is a kit, you might have seen the male, when he was allowed in her territory. But I'm told that the males and females tend to travel, sometimes for quite a distance, outside of territory to find a mate.

Notice the nice black coloring on her legs and ears:

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAREN ANNE KOLLING
This fearsome looking chomping is just dispatching a (shell-less) peanut. I haven't seen any grinding teeth, I wonder if foxes have them?

Foxes do have molars and at least in the fox in Denmark their teeth, in fact their whole selves, have become larger in the 20th Century.

The first molar is used to grind grains. I wonder if that includes peanut chomping?

From Evolutionary Ecology Research, 2003, 5: 1037–1048
http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/zoology/members/yom-tov/articles/Increase.pdf

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAREN ANNE KOLLING

Here's her sweet face –
She is a beauty.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAREN ANNE KOLLING
This was supposed to be a nice photo of Mr. and Mrs.Cardinal, but Mr. Cardinal (red blur in background) had other ideas -

Well Karen when it happens to me, to salve my disappointment, I decide it's either documentation--or art.

SCREEN CAPTURE COURTESY OF FRIENDS OF BLACKWATER EAGLES

FROM ROBIN OF ILLINOIS--

The Blackwater eaglets begin to try their wings.

FROM OUR GLEANER OF THE NEW YORK TIMES, WILLIAM WALTERS--
OPINION

April 13, 2009

Editorial Observer: Science, Mythology, Hatred, and the Fate of the Gray Wolf

By VERLYN KLINKENBORG

Why it is so difficult to accept the removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana.

Donegal Browne

Ospreys at Jamaica Bay and The M Red-tailed Hawks Guard the Nest

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Francois Portmann goes to Jamaica Bay...



for home improvement time with the Ospreys.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann
A disagreement about turf.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
The Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, the only member of it's family, Pandionidae. They are our only raptor that plunges into the water. Plus they go in feet first.

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Back to the nest.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Alert and ready.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Then more work on the nest.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
They both fly but one is ever so much more graceful than the other. Just think we've yet to create a satisfactory mode of flight for a single person, while the birds just--do it.

Photograph by Francois Portmann
Instead of staying on the gravel that is the verge of the paved road,which has been my practice previously, I went a few feet onto the grassy slope that in 30 feet or so meets the field in which the nest Oak grows.

Suddenly a hawk appears from the north, the back tree line, and flaps south, towards me and the nest tree and lands on the rim of the nest.
I'd thought the bird on he nest was the female but now I'm not certain.

Though the breast feathers from this angle appear to be smooth which tends toward the newcomer being male but I'm still not positive which is which.

I am always amazed how the color of the feathers changes depending on the light. Here his head appears almost chestnut.

Whereas a turn of head, and he definitely looks like a strawberry blond.

The wind blows the breast feathers back.

The newcomer gives me "the look", then commences an alert methodical scan of the territory. Have you noticed the incubating bird looking with focus between the second bird's belly and the nest?

Back to me.

A look east...

Evidently I've been sufficiently cowed in the Hawks opinion and the male, (I think), is off the nest and heading down the north tree line which follows the railroad tracks.

She watches him go and no doubt knows where he is, while I lost him in a copse of trees.

Then it's back to me, the possible intruder. The field beneath the tree has been turned over in the last few days It was in corn last season, and most probably will be again. I wonder if the fledged eyasses will hop flap around in it. There are some thin twigged bushy growth beneath the nest tree but the stems and twigs don't look thick enough for a bird to get a good grip and climb back into the Oak. But then again--you never know.

Donegal Browne