This year I had the great pleasure of having a red-shouldered hawk couple choose to nest in a tree that I can see from my living room. This meant that I could easily watch the entire process every day.
First off, I was shocked at the size of the nest. I would think it would be big for such a big bird but it was shockingly small and easily missed if I didn’t know it was there.
The first sightings of them sitting on the nest started in the middle of March. We had a few strong spring storms that had me concerned but the nest location seems perfect and nothing bothered them. One would stay on the nest while the other hunted and the hunter would scream when she/he had something and they would join up in a nearby tree.
By early April I could tell something had hatched by the parents’ behavior but had to wait till mid-month to actually see the little heads. The cuteness was overwhelming.
For days I could watch the little ones getting fed. It was easy to know when it was feeding time as mom and dad would scream as they returned with food. In some cases like the below video, they both would be at the nest with food.
The fact that this nest was visible from my yard and the parents hunted in the neighborhood, I really got to watch all aspects of this process and all while still getting spring yard work done, does it get any better than that? I think not!
Within two weeks of seeing their little heads, the tree was full of leaves and they were getting their adult feathers. One more week and they looked like adult birds and were starting to venture out of the nest and onto connecting limbs.
Their parents both made continuous trips to the nest every day to feed these quickly growing red-shouldered hawk chicks. The main meals I saw were mice and snakes. I would see squirrels in their tree and close to the nest and they never bothered them nor did they bother anyone at my many bird feeders.
Soon the three red-shouldered chicks were looking like they were ready to venture out in the big world.
Then one day I came home from work looked across the street and no one was on the big branch and I knew, it had happened. I walked over and looked up to an empty tree. I said a thank you to Mother Nature for sharing them and wished them luck wherever they were.
The next day to my shock there was a chick on the roosting branch staring at me. I was excited but a little confused. But seems they must have been hiding in the other trees connected to their nest tree. I went over and found all three hiding in the branches of the trees.
So now it’s the end of May and they are exploring the trees doing short flights to branches. Sometimes learning the hard way what limbs can hold them and what ones can’t. But mom and dad are right there watching and helping them along or maybe laughing at them like me but who really knows what they think but they were always there.
Through June the chicks continue to grow and look more and more like adult hawks. The neighborhood is clean of snakes and full of the feathers of the five hawk family. The young ones are still learning the art of flying in the woods but they are a joy to watch.
I’m so glad I have been able to watch this family for all these months and I sincerely hope this is a yearly tradition.
Let me know if you’ve ever had the luck of finding a hawk nest.
