The Hawks at Hawksbill Cabin

During the first couple of springs at Hawksbill Cabin, the front yard was dominated by a very large pine tree.  We had to take it down eventually after a wet and windy winter, when we noticed it had started to lean slightly and there was disturbance in the soil around the roots - it looked ready to fall.

And that signal was confirmed in another way, since the tree had been the home to nesting hawks for the two previous springs, and they didn't return that year.  We enjoyed watching the pair that returned every year raise two clutches of four nestlings each year.  By clicking the 'Hawks' label at the end of the post you can read more about them.

Last week I was sitting on the brick terrace working through a pile of old magazines when I heard the distinctive call of our hawks.  They still return to nest nearby, possibly back in the wood lot, and we hear them during the mornings and evenings when one of the parents returns to the nest with food.  As I looked up, I was surprised to see four of them circling around above the pond across the road from us.

I rushed for my camera and was very lucky to catch three of them in this image - you can just see the third one as a speck in the lower right hand corner.  I often see one or two of them engaged in this frolic, but it was amazing to see the four of them.

These are either Sharp-shinned Hawks or Cooper's Hawks.  I've never settled on an identification - and most of the web resources I've read said it's common not to be able to confidently identify them, since they are so similar.  I think if you check into the past posts, you'll see that I refer to them as one or the other from time to time.  Someday I'll get it right.

Return of the Hawks

Back in 2008 and 2009, until we lost the big pine in the front yard, we had a pair of nesting hawks that we would look forward to watching during the spring and summer.  You can check out some of those old posts by clicking on the hawks label at the end of this post - it took a lot of work, but I finally was able to get some (not great quality) photos of the nestlings, and those are included as well.

We decided that they were either Coopers Hawks, or Sharp-shinned Hawks, which both are very similar in size and coloration.  Even the bird center at Cornell University says it is challenging to know the difference.  In any case, I really enjoyed the sounds they would make flying around in the hollow and in the wood lot - various calls for location purposes, a victory call when one of them had prey, and things like that.

We knew the big pine was in trouble one spring when they no longer nested there.  We'd seen them across the road, soaring above the creek and the big beaver pond over there in early February.  But no nest showed up in the tree by March, as it had in the past.  It turned out, they'd found another large tree back in the wood lot.

In any case, they've returned this year, and last weekend I saw them soaring above the beaver pond again.  They typically return to the same nest year after year, so I'm sure they're back in the wood lot somewhere.

I snapped a few iPhone photos - this is the best of them.  You can just see one of the hawks emerging in the clear space.

I'll keep an ear out for when the nesting begins.

Yardbirds

Taking a cue from Marty, who made a list of the birds that show up in his Manassas yard when he puts the feeder out, I thought I would make a list of what we see out in the yard at Hawksbill Cabin. 

Now, I should make a note that we have three feeders going during the winter, especially when there is snow on the ground.  As soon as it starts to warm up in the spring, I take the feeders down since we'll start seeing young bears around.  No need to invite them up into the yard.

I use the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds Eastern Edition, to identify the birds we see.  Even so, there is one bird in the area I have not conclusively identified, and that is the type of hawk that we have in the hollow.  At times, I've thought this was either a sharpshinned or Coopers hawk - but the two species are very similar and even the experts have trouble with them.  For more on our experience with the hawks, check out the Hawks label at the end of this post - we had a pair that nested in the yard a couple of years running.

Starting with the perching birds, we get:

• Juncoes, eastern form
• House sparrows (a large and noisy flock shows up early in the day)
• House finches
• Gold finches (an intrepid, small flock of three or four)
• Cardinals (we have at least two pair)
• Blue jays (upwards of a dozen live in the hollow; they like the ground beneath the large feeder)
• Black-capped chickadee
• Tufted titmouse (there are quite a few of these, as there are with the chickadees)

Then with the tree clinging birds:

• Downy woodpeckers (there are at least two)
• Northern flickers (I've seen three around at once.  During the summer, they hang out on some of the dead trees over by the old beaver pond)
• White breasted nuthatch

Special guests - birds that don't visit the feeders, but I often see passing through the yard when I am outside:

• Pileated woodpeckers (there is at least a pair living in the hollow)
• Carolina wrens (there is a pair of these; I really love the song on those days when ours are out and about and have something to tweet about)

Someday I'll participate in the annual bird count.  I'd love to get a catalog on the population we're serving up all these black oil sunflower seeds to...

Birds of Prey

A few days ago I was driving around Clarendon.  While I was stopped at a light, I happened to look up and saw this pair of V-22 Ospreys ascending - probably just taking off from Ft. Myer.  The engines were still rotating to forward flight position when I quickly took this shot of them - click on the photo for a larger view, they are just above the left end of the tall building in the background.

This aircraft was plagued with a number of challenges and crashes during it's development over the last 20 years.  The Wikipedia link below provides the history.  I'd seen another taking off recently down near Ft. Belvoir; after researching this was surprised to find that they are in full production and serving in active duty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-22_Osprey

Now for a second, more literal subject on this topic.  When Brian and I visited the Sutro Bath Ruins in San Francisco a few weeks ago, we happened to look up and saw a Red Tail hawk engaged in the watchful semi-hover behavior that they often have (mentioned in the Wikipedia article that is linked below). That was fascinating enough to watch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tail_hawk

A short time later, we looked back up at the hawk and noticed that it was carrying some sort of small rodent prey animal.  It had begun to make its tell tale "keer" call.  Suddenly, a second smaller bird rose in flight and began pursuing the one carrying the rodent, making all sorts of similar calls, trying to keep up.

My guess is, based on the time of year, we were seeing a parent teach a fledgling some hunting behaviors.  It was fascinating to watch - flying in all directions, sometimes passing just a few dozen feet over head, and covering a lot of distance above the ruins.  Most of the other tourists at the ruins also stopped to watch - I'm sure some of them got better photos than I did with the moto-cam, but this one wasn't so bad.

Trees Before and After

We had to get a bunch of tree work done this year - in fact, these tasks have held up getting the pool opened.  And taking care of it has led to the realization that we probably have five or six more pines to take down, unfortunately.  I've got some photos to post of all of this, starting with the apple tree.

The apple tree is poised for a bumper crop this year.  Unfortunately the stress of the snow last winter left this old tree in poor shape, and we noticed that the second of the tree's originally three trunks had split.  So that's gone now, but the remaining trunk seems healthy and strong.  Once again, I forgot to save the wood for our artist friend Lisa.  You wouldn't believe all the golf ball sized green apples all over the yard!

The second, and more problematic tree, was the big pine.  This one had a pronounced lean that showed up after the winter, and I knew there was trouble when the hawks (check the label "Hawks" on this post) didn't return to nest here this year - they are nearby, I see them flying through the woods from time to time. 

So we also took this one down, and a couple of others that were sickly.  Now we've got a big open space in the front yard, and the sky is opened up overhead.  The pool will be cleaner this year as a result, and probably warmer.

Down Comes the Big Pine

Since we bought the Hawksbill Cabin in September 2007, we've enjoyed the big pine tree that dominates the hill in the front yard.  The neighborhood is known as Hawksbill Pines, after all, and this just might be the eponymous tree...although I doubt it.  It's really a marvel.  But unfortunately, it's going to have to come down this year.

After the snows this winter, we've noticed there is a pronounced lean in the main trunk.  While it's subtle enough that you might not notice it as a casual visitor, I can definitely see it, and I am growing a little more concerned each time I take a look at it.

For the last two springs, a family of hawks (I've had trouble identifying the species - either Coopers or Sharp-shinned hawks, and at the moment I'm going with Coopers) have nested here, raising four hatchlings each year.  They didn't nest here this year, but moved to the woods in the back of the house.  I haven't found the tree, but hear the "near the nest" call and see the male flying over from time to time.   Their voluntary relocation opened up some options.  (Click on the "Hawks" tag on this post for more on their nesting activities.)

There will be a big relief associated with the event.  This tree drops needles and those little cones into the pool all summer long.  I had no idea how much litter a pine tree continuously throughs off, and that's especially true of this one.

We are taking down two of its downhill neighbors, which have always looked a little sickly, and one more up the hill closer to the house and pool.  It's just time for these to go, and unfortunately for the big one, with the lean, we can't afford the risks of it falling at anytime, especially later in the summer during the heavy rains.

Chris said this will open up the view.  That's certainly true and we'll have a clear look over to Beaver Run hollow. 

I'm thinking about replacing these with four to six apple trees, which won't grow as tall.  It'll be nice to have a little orchard there, and since I think we could lose the old tree soon, it's time to think ahead.

As far as pines go, we'll still have 10 or so of the large, 70- to 90-footers left, and there are a couple of 30-foot sapplings around that will grow into place.  We've got more in the acre of woods behind and to the east, which is where I think the hawks have settled.  So the neighborhood can keep the name - Mary and I will stand by it.

Nesting Hawks Encore 2009 - part 2

(Today, finishing the two-parter started yesterday, about the little nest of Sharp-shinned hawks that has become an annual event at the Hawksbill Cabin.)

I mentioned this feeding ritual that the hawks have, so I’ll offer a few more details of what we’ve been seeing. Starting around daylight, the youngsters begin making their cries and flying around the neighborhood. This activity continues throughout the morning, before they settle down during the heat of the afternoon. Sometimes, just before we get up, there is a chorus of cries and the sound of a congregation in one of the trees, which we’ve begun to recognize as feeding time.

It seems that this gathering takes place in random trees. My guess is that this is how the adults teach the young to hunt. The young are never very far away, but they are scattered around the hollow, so the lucky first and second are never the same birds. The randomness of it all must be how everybody gets enough to eat; as a result, the flying also gets stronger and more confident by the day.

One morning last weekend was the first time I was able to watch this spectacle in detail. The parent arrived, clutching prey, and left it on a low branch in one of the nearby pines. The fledglings all converged, swarming the meal, dividing it up. After a moment, there was still enough left to incite some jealousy, so more scrambling ensued. Somebody lost their grip on the prize, and the largest portion of it crashed to the ground in a weedy patch of the yard.

None of them went after it after it fell, and I hadn’t had enough coffee to be so adventurous, so I figured that some lucky raccoon would eventually get it. Later in the day, I was walking around the yard and saw two of the young birds down on the ground. They were both covering whatever they had with their wings, obviously eating something. It might have been the lost meal, or maybe another one. In any case, one of the birds had a larger piece, because the second finished up sooner and started running around on the ground in a circle.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, as we were getting ready to leave, the prey was brought back to the home tree. The prey was fetched up into the higher branches this time. It seemed like all of the birds got back in time to get something to eat. After a few minutes, I saw one of the fledglings miss a step and fall off the high branch, down into the area where the trunk splits and the ivy is entwined. I heard the “thunk” of impact and all was quiet.

I sat with my fingers crossed that we hadn’t lost one of the birds. It reminded me of a time a few years ago, when a young finch flew into one of the windows in Alexandria. My wife Mary called animal control, where she was told to just keep an eye on it and protect it from predators – birds don’t usually die from this, they are simply stunned and more likely die because they are attacked during the moment of their vulnerability. So I hoped that all we had in this case was a stunned hawk.

Sure enough, about a half hour later, the little one thrashed its way out onto a branch. Still weak and disoriented, it hopped from limb to limb, always descending. Eventually, it fell to the ground, lying very still – so I thought it had died. Then, a flutter – and then, it righted itself, eventually recovering enough to hop around the yard. And that’s how we left it when we got on the road back to Alexandria.

I was expecting that we’d only be watching three youngsters after that, but early last Friday morning, I saw all four of the youngsters perched separately in the trees around the yard – the injured one had survived. Each one of them is flying proficiently now, including the one that was injured, although this one does seem to favor one leg when it is perched on a branch, and I’ve even seen it lie prone on a branch to rest.

It probably won’t be long now until we don’t see any of the young hawks anymore. They had flown off by the beginning of August last year, and I estimate that in terms of development, this brood is a month ahead of last year’s. So maybe next week, we’ll only have one or two left, and soon after, everyone will be on their way. After that, we’ll probably only catch random sightings of one of them hunting in the woods behind the house.

We’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of this natural show, and can only look forward to next year – with hope, that the hawks will return.

Nesting Hawks Encore 2009 - part 1

(Today, the first half of a two-parter on our nesting hawks. We'll put the second half up tomorrow.)

Last year, and again this year, we’ve had the privilege of observing a pair of Sharp-shinned hawks that nest in the big pine that stands in front of the Hawksbill Cabin. This pine is probably 80 feet tall, and about a third of the way up it is split into four or five trunks. The bottom half is all covered with ivy, and the nest is about two thirds of the way up, above the last tangles of the vines. Our perspective from below is such that we can’t quite see the nest, although we can see – and hear – all of the comings and goings.

Just like last year, the hawks have raised a brood of four youngsters, and we’ve been able to watch their development over the course of the spring and early summer. For the last two weeks, the activities have mainly consisted of flying around from tree to tree in the hollow, whistling “scree, scree” from time to time – whether it is a cry of loneliness of hunger we can only guess. It’s clear they are waiting for a parent to arrive with prey, an event that is followed by a flurry of calls and frantic flying to wherever the parent has alighted, since there is a strict “first come, first served” rule in hawk culture.

Due to work deadlines, we weren’t able to come out for a couple of weeks in June this year. At some point while we were away the youngsters took their first flights; so we missed their emergence from the nest and their first clumsy attempts to fly from branch to branch in the big tree, or even better – as they learned to bridge the 30-foot gap between the neighboring pines and oaks with a leap and glide.

Looking back in my notes from last year, it seems to me that this brood is a month ahead of where last year’s batch was at this time – it was just about the time of this post last year that I first wrote the Project FeederWatch program at Cornell to ask for help identifying the birds as we began to see them. On their suggestion, we spent some time learning the difference between the larger Coopers hawk and the Sharp-shinned hawk – scrutinizing everything from the parents’ “kik-kik-kik” call, to the prey (strictly small birds, which is why the we promptly put away our feeders when the hawks arrive), to the distinctive t-shape of the birds in flight (Coopers have more of a cross-shape).

I’ve tried very hard to get a good phone-cam photo of the youngsters, but so far, even after two years of trying, the opportunities just haven’t been there. Next year, if we’re lucky and they come back, I’ll be sure to have a digital camera with a zoom so I can get some better photos; the ones I have published here on the blog are the best of the more than two dozen attempts that I made this summer and last.

Tomorrow's post will describe a couple of events that we've been able to watch during meal times for the youngsters.

Arrival of Nesting Hawks

Earlier in the week I mentioned the return of our hawks. Once I heard the call in the woods, I decided it was time to take the feeders down - we have copious black capped chickadees, cardinals, titmice, woodpeckers of all kinds, house sparrows, and even a pair of wrens, in the woods around us, and all of them are prey for these kinds of hawks.

So to give everybody a sporting chance of making it through spring, we take down the feeders and move to throwing handfulls on the ground and near sources of cover. Last year, after I learned that bears sometimes move through the hollow in the spring, I decided that was a second reason to take the feeders down, as the seeds are attractive forage for them as well.

I also wanted to write a little more about what I saw the hawks doing last weekend, since one of the activities was surprising and a new one. First, there was the more routine activity though, of the male bird bringing food to the nesting female. After the nestlings hatch, he'll bring it to the nest - but for now, when he has the prey, he'll make a call from a tree that is about 100 yards away from the nest, and the female will fly to him to collect the food and eat.

I remembered seeing this a few times last year, but now I've put the whole behavior together, between his call, his perch, and her flight out of the nest to him.

The second item of interest was quite surprising. I heard a terrible noise the other morning, one I'd never heard before; suddenly a crow flying erratically appeared above the house. There is a flock of about 6 crows in the area that I see all the time.

Apparently, this one had gotten too close for the hawks' comfort, and the male was chasing him off. The bird was making calls that I don't ever remember hearing from a crow - they were very loud and sounding like cries for help. Between the noises and the fluttering flight it was quite a show, but I'm not convinced the crow was in danger, as the male hawks from both the sharp shinned and Cooper's species are only about as big as a crow. As soon as the crow was out of the nest's vicinity, the chase broke off.

Last year I saw him chase blue jays off a few times, but I never put it together that this wasn't necessarily hunting - it's protecting the nest. The incident with the crow helped me understand what's going on there.

I was happy for the breakfast show and variety of activities, though, and with good weather forecast this weekend, maybe we'll see a bit more wildlife action around the cabin.

Noisy Birds! Pileateds and Hawks

On Sunday, another noise I heard frequently was the nearby pounding of pileated woodpeckers. I kept an eye out for them as I have seen them before in flight - we have at least a pair of them in the hollow, and as proof, I offer this photo of a tree on our downhill lot.

I'm sure I will catch sight of them this spring, but it is less likely that I will be able to take a photo of them, even though I am ever vigilant with the Moto Cam!

As I was keeping tabs Sunday on all the wildlife activity, I heard a familiar kik-kik-kik-kik-kik call from back in the woods. I've seen hawk activity in the neighborhood since mid-March, and wondered if our nesting pair might return (see posts under the label "Hawks" for posts from last years, when the pair had a successful nest of four fledglings).

Sure enough I looked up at the nest and the female was there. The call was the male letting her know he was nearby - with food. Here are photos of the tree where the nest is, to give an idea of the size and density. Even though I am usually planted on the brick terrace in the morning, near the windows and front door shown here, I've never been able to get a good photo of the nest. Even so, I have been able to watch them carefully - my morning time there is also when the male brings her his kills.

Feeder Birds

With the change of season, I changed the feeders we keep around the place. I posted about the hummingbird feeder a couple of weeks back – with the hummingbirds apparently gone I am putting up a couple of seed feeders for the other birds. Also a note to Howard about the migrating hummingbirds - I'll keep that in mind for next year.

This year, we’ll have two hanging seed feeders, one in the maple tree and the other in the side yard on the old post mount that Brit and Lori left behind. These photos of the post mounted feeder is taken from inside the house.

The hawks have matured and moved on, although I think I hear a call here and there, and I sometimes catch site of what I think is one of them crashing through the woods on the hunt. The experts say that it is likely that they are programmed on our hollow and will come back over the years, although they could over winter elsewhere.

The new feeder locations have a few trees nearby, so there is shelter for the little birds when they come to feed. Last winter, we had nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, and juncos in a mixed winter flock that would move through in a group. That was pretty fun to watch, sitting out on the brick terrace with a cup of coffee.

Question for the class - this bird on the feeder - is it a nuthatch or a titmouse? It has a crest which it folds back when feeding; although there are barely visible reddish patches under the wings.

I'll keep an eye out and try to post some of our other visitors this winter.

Another update on the nesting hawks

A diversion from the Road Trip Los Angeles posts...Mary tells me that the young hawks are still hanging around, flying from tree to tree. After reading additional background on Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks, I decided to send a message to the Feeder Watch group at Cornell University.

Below I am excerpting two messages from Anne Marie of that group. Plenty of helpful information here, detailing the difficulty of identifying the two species. I’m left wondering which kind we had, most behaviors match “sharpies” but the call sounds like Cooper’s…you can follow the link in here post below and hear samples of their calls.

“Both species prefer to nest in conifers, but I believe that Cooper's Hawks tend to favor Red Pines at least in our area. I am not aware of significant differences between the two species in the location of nests within a tree. To my knowledge the breeding cycle is pretty similar for the two species as well, although Cooper's Hawks may start a bit earlier. There are definitely differences in their flight pattern and shape, but I have found the differences difficult to see except during migration when long flights can be observed. I am glad you had a chance to listen to the calls. Those can be very helpful.

These species are very difficult to tell apart. I have seen ornithologists look at the same photo and disagree about identification. (note the post with photos is http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/07/nesting-hawks-encore-with-photos.html)

So if you never figure it out, don't feel bad. It is very likely that the hawks will return to the same area to nest again next year, and in the case of Cooper's Hawks, they may even use the same nest. So if you will have another chance to identify your hawks next spring.”

…and…

“…I can't tell from the photos which hawk you have. You can find tips for telling the two species apart here:http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/accipiterIDtable.htm

From the pages linked at the bottom of that page, you can find recordings to listen to, which might help. With the juvenile birds, the best field mark is the thickness of the vertical streaking on the breast. With the adults, the best field mark is whether or not the feathers on the back of the neck are light or dark. The two species overlap in size, and given how difficult it is to judge size, it is not usually a reliable field mark.”

Nesting Hawks Encore - with Photos

For several months now we've had a pair of Sharpshinned Hawks nesting in the big pine tree in the front yard. There are four or five previous posts on the topic, which were summarized in last week's entry "Nesting Hawks Finale" -link below. I thought the four nestlings would have flown off by now, but to our surprise, three of them were still around last weekend. Mary and I were treated to a show of flying lessons, as the young birds flew from tree to tree and could be spotted over in the hollow, down at the stream, and in the tops of the trees in the back yard.

After the Sunday rains, I was able to catch a few photos of them at last, using the digital camera and zoom. The quality leaves something to be desired, but I wanted something to document the experience, so they are satisfactory. The first is of one of the nestlings sitting alone on a branch, where it had been preening and drying itself after the rain. The second is of the other pair of nestlings, who for a moment sat together on a branch in another tree.

For a recap of all entries, check the previous entry on the hawks at http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/07/nesting-hawks-finale.html .

Nesting Hawks Finale

Last weekend, we had the opportunity to enjoy what may be the last few observations of the hawks that have been nesting in the big pine tree at the Hawksbill Cabin. Earlier we identified them as Sharpshinned Hawks, a breed that has an extensive range across the Continental US, from their nesting habit in dominant conifers, and from their size and other behaviors.

Since April or so a pair was hanging out around our property and coming and going to the big tree. Eventually the nest was built and there was a clutch of eggs. Then we started to hear the nestlings, and there was a lot of parental activity as the care and feeding began. Finally last weekend, the nestlings were big enough to see on their own – and we learned there are four of them.

Unfortunately, because of their nesting site, about 70 feet up the tree, I have never been able to get a good phone cam photo of them. And now they are nearly adults, so I expect that by the time we are out this weekend, they will have left the nest. On a couple of occasions last weekend, two of the youngsters flew out of the tree into neighboring ones 30 to 50 feet away – definitely trying out their wings – and always returning to the nest at night or on arrival of one of the parents.

As we move on into the summer and the hawks depart, it’s been great having them around and learning so much about them. Here is a recap of the past posts on them:

http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/06/of-frogs-hawks-hummingbirds-and-deer.html
http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/06/then-there-were-three-nesting-hawks.html
http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/05/nesting-hawks.html

Of frogs, hawks, hummingbirds, and deer

Here’s our final entry for June – the summer is fully underway at the Hawksbill Cabin. We await the completion of our pool repairs, but the two other large projects are coming to a close. July will be a busy work and travel month, so the pace of entries will slow, even though our interest in sharing this experience will not wane! A final logistics note, we will be changing our mobile phone carrier to one with better coverage in the cabin area – this may temporarily reduce the number of phone-cam postings.

On our arrival Friday night last weekend, we were greeted by a chorus of deep-voiced frogs over in the hollow. These were booming grunts, nothing like the high-pitched songs of the spring frogs. As I unloaded the car, I wanted to reach for a flashlight; sometimes it sounded like there were a couple of men walking down the road talking. The singing of the frogs was varied and sounded like a conversation.

The next wildlife encounter involved our nesting hawks. There are two previous entries about these birds at:
http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/06/then-there-were-three-nesting-hawks.html
http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/05/nesting-hawks.html

The adults are staying away from the nest for longer and longer periods. But they must stay nearby, as they appear almost instantly any time a blue jay lights in their tree, or a crow flies through the neighborhood. And last night, I saw the male arrive with a small prey bird to feed the nestlings.

We still have not managed to catch the nestlings in a photo suitable for posting. We watched the nest carefully over the weekend and have been able to identify three nestlings – they are probably about 2/3 adult size now, so the largest of them may be able to fly by next weekend. During the day, they jostle about in the nests –we can hear these squabbles down below. And they venture out now onto the neighboring branches, never more than 6 or 8 feet from the nest.
Our vantage point, directly below, obscures them for photography purposes. But we have been able to get a good look at them through the binoculars from time to time.

Another wildlife treat over the weekend was the appearance of a humming bird in the yard. This little creature showed up while I was out watching the hawks. It flew up out of the hollow and buzzed into the pine boughs of the hawks’ tree, then out and along the tree tops of some of our dogwoods. It stopped by the hostas, not yet in bloom, then onto the back of the house (headed for the bee balm, maybe, or the lilies). That was a pleasant surprise.

Final nature highlight of the day was a sighting of the large doe that lives in our neighborhood. I had a glimpse of her last weekend during one of the storms as she moved from the hollow along our driveway to the woods behind us. I think this is the same doe that had two fawns with her last year – they weren’t with her this time, although I saw the three of them together once during the early Spring.

Yesterday morning she was out on the road, walking along the front of our lots. She crossed the creek and climbed part way up the hill before something startled her, and she headed back into the hollow. A few minutes later I saw her by the stream before she headed deeper into the hollow.

That’s all for the cabin posting today. It’s kind of like an outdoor lifestyle out there. More to come.

Then there were three nesting hawks

A quick update on our nesting sharp-shinned hawks - over the weekend there was a lot of activity in the nest as the parents came and went. The original post is at http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/05/nesting-hawks.html.

Most of the time the nest is well enough hidden in the big pine that I still have not managed to get a photograph of it or the hawks when they are there. After a rain on Saturday, the branches were weighed down so I could catch movement up there from time to time, but never had the clear shot for a photograph.

The adult birds continue the call/respond behaviors, but the range from the nest is growing farther and farther. When we first encountered them, the male would sound a call from inside of 200 yards; now it sounds like he could be as far away as 500 yards. Not every time now, but still frequently, the female will either respond with a call or she will fly out of the nest in the direction of the call.

As the male occasionally flew by the nest, just as he was parallel or overhead he would make his call. I also was able to hear the sound of at least one nestling, although I haven't seen it or any sign of it yet. The little voice seemed to be a response to the calls, but I need to observe a bit longer to be sure about this.

Mary and I think these developments are aimed at helping the young learn that they will need to leave the nest and learn to fly. Will put up a new post next week assuming we learn more about them. Next week I will have my camera binocs with me and hopefully will be able to post a photo.

Nesting Hawks

Beginning about two months ago I started noticing a pair of hawks that were spending a lot of time in the pine trees around our yard. In this area, one quickly thinks that a raptor bird of this type might be a red tail or an osprey, but those are both species that are much larger than the birds I was seeing. I spent a few weekends observing them come and go and finally learned that they were nesting in this large pine tree, directly in front of the house.


I’ve decided upon reading the literature that these are sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), which are described as living in a wide range of woodland and forest types, including our area, which is dominated by pines and other conifers, and includes some oaks and hickories. Here is a wiki photo I found of the bird.

There are several interesting behaviors we’ve noticed. First, during some parts of the day, one of the pair will station itself in one of the tall trees nearby, repeatedly calling with a “kawk” sound – very similar to a single squeak from one of Gracie’s toys. Yesterday morning, we heard this noise starting around 8am.

Also, as the parent (I assume this is the female) leaves the nest to hunt, the call becomes “kawk-kawk-kawk-kawk” – multiple repetitions, usually while in flight. I have watched the bird chase blue jays, and have seen it in the tree with prey in claw. The blue jay chase in particular was notable, as these hawks aren’t much bigger than jays – some books even describe them as jay-sized. I think the two here are slightly larger than that, maybe crow-sized.

The main prey is other birds. By the way, we took our feeders down when we first learned this, not only because of the hawks, but because we heard that feeders are bear-bait in our neighborhood!


I’ve been trying to get a photo of the hawks in action or in one of the nearby trees, but haven’t been able to. The only proof I have of them in the vicinity is a periodic feather, such as this one, which I found on the pool deck. More to come, as we try to determine how many nestlings there are.