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June 10:
For several days, nest tree rustles with the sound of little hawks trying their wings and playing in the tree, fluttering from branch to branch. Only occasionally is it possible to see one still enough to take a picture. One day, a yard worker who has watched the hawks for years, pointed out the activity to his co-worker, no doubt a newcomer: "Look! There's another one! And another one!"
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The hawklets have still not ventured very far from the nest, where they know food can be found. And they return to the nest for rest and safety from night predators. Although their tail feathers are quite stubby and not half full length, they have quite a wing-span!
June 14:
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The little hawks have fledged! How do I know? Yes, this is one of the hawklets, silhouetted in a cypress tree, definitely not nest tree. I saw three of them in the cypress trees and watched as one flew boldly (if not confidently) from one cypress to another. |
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Later in the day, I took a photo of this youngster back on Roxie's perch above the nest. They may be flying around, but they haven't forgotten where the food can be found! This little hawk still has the poofed auricular feathers (ear coverts) that give young Cooper's hawks what we have come to know as the "zombie look."
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June 16:
The begging calls have begun. "Eee-eeww eee-eewww" the fledglings want to make sure their parents don't forget about them. They are now flying freely from tree to tree and moving quite rapidly to escape the eye of the camera. Here are two of the fledglings in the same tree; a third sailed off and glided all the way back to nest tree.
We have still only seen three hawklets at one time. Is there a fourth one? We will have to wait and see...
Continue to Chapter 14: Learning on the Wing
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