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Flint Hills of Kansas
4/26/22
I have been monitoring two Red Tail nests this spring. I check the nests nearly every day. Sometimes I check them twice, in the morning and again in late afternoon. Since Mama of nest #1 began sitting on her nest I have only witnessed her leaving it 3 times over a period of about 3 1/2 weeks. According to all about birds “ Red-tailed Hawks usually incubate their eggs for about 28-35 days...”
So it figures I should detect hatchlings any time now.
The incubating females have been through hell, but have persisted through it all. However, the most recent storm was the most vicious yet, so I was very concerned when I made my rounds to check the nests day before yesterday. Since you’re coming along I’ll just focus on nest #1 for this trip as mama in nest #2 is extremely skittish and the nest is becoming invisible due to leaves sprouting on nearby limbs.
Then came the biggest storm yet of this spring.
4/26/22 UPDATE: In the following pic, as well as the one above, you can clearly see she is enacting repairs to her nest using pliant green limbs to intertwine into the existing structure. She’s in it to win it! I had a wild idea that I might be able to get pics of the babies from high above using a drone camera, but that idea will not work as the drone is controlled using a cellphone and I get virtually no signal at that location. Too bad. I wouldn’t have flown it over the nest itself, but simply straight up from my truck bed to a height of about 50 feet. That would have been enough to photograph the entire expanse of the nest surface. Had that got mama excited I only have to touch one button and the drone immediately returns to it’s takeoff spot in the back of my truck. Doesn’t matter though. No signal, no drone flight. I’ll have to concoct a different plan.
That will end this session of Checking the Nests, but I plan to make additions in the coming days or weeks. Thanks very much for keeping company with me for this little adventure in nature. When I spot hatchlings we will transition to a Friday Sequence diary, so be sure to stay tuned.
PS: Get well soon OD!
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