Yep, definitely a chick in the foreground of the adult, below the adult’s right wing, in addition to the one whose eye and beak is visible at the adult’s beak. The outline of the fuzzy white head is plain to see.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Quincy, CA
Out by Gansner Airport, on the north side of American Valley, about ¾ mile from my apartment (as the RT Hawk flies), I recently spotted and started observing a Red-tailed Hawk nest. Yesterday, the 22nd of May, was my first day. I was not very happy with the quality of my photos, so I made a return trip today to try some different techniques and at a different time of day, with the sun a bit higher in the sky. I did all right today, although it was a bit frustrating when I first got out there and got set up. I couldn’t spot the darn nest, and I was sure I knew right where it was and how to spot it. Wrong, funningforrest!
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In my defense (and I know I’m scarcely worth defending) and in advisory to readers to do what I didn’t do, I didn’t take careful note of exactly where I was yesterday and exactly what direction to look and exactly (o.k., approximately) how far off the nest was and any “landmarks” to aid in spotting it next time out, like you know, this morning.
Anyhow, once I did find it again, I thought I’d go ahead and take a photo of about how it looks as seen by the unaided eye:
Can you spot it? If you can, you’re darn good, that’s all I got to say.
Zooming in, with the full-size photo from above now on the left, and one “click” farther in on the right. You might make it out.
Now notice at left photo, just upper of center, the small dark blob. In right photo, it should now be easily discernible.
OK, can you see it now? (hee-hee)
From All About Birds:
From Audubon.org:
Once I finally got the nest re-spotted (it is, after all, about two hundred yards line-of-sight from my vantage point and not easily seen unless you’re in just the right spot and already know where to look), I did take the effort to precisely note my orientation and location, and even placed a small cairn (just three baseball-sized rocks in a triangle) where I need to sit. However, it was about ten minutes before the nest started to have any action. I just happened to arrive as both adults were out hunting. It didn’t take long, however, for the first to return. Second frame, below, one of the chicks is easy to see.
Series of adult feeding chick
In the bottom frame, I believe this is a second chick (look to left of adult). The one being fed in the previous frames has popped back down in the nest, out of sight.
After I took the foregoing frames, the adult left and it was a full eleven minutes until it returned. With more food!!!!!
Note left talon, first frame. It ain’t empty.
Here’s a blowup of that first frame:
I’m going to guess a Wood Rat, given its size and shape.
Two minutes later, the second adult arrived. I had already put my camera on “sequential” bird mode (as in the foregoing flight-action frames). In this mode my camera takes about eight frames per second, up to ten frames, but then I have to reactivate the shutter button by releasing it and pressing and holding again for another sequence. It works so-so. One thing you can tell for certain: the second adult is coming in empty. Hmmmm…. Makes me wonder if it came back to the nest because the first adult was doing a lot of calling, and maybe there’s some sort of communication between them, as to where the good and ready grub is to be found? I’m utterly speculating, I know, but it’s something to think about, maybe?
Now that the second adult had arrived and I had better shots of the chick being fed, I called it a successful morning. No video attempts today, due to heavy truck traffic on the frontage road where I’m sitting (the audio would have been horrific); the sewer plant is just around the bend and they’re still going gang-busters on that massive renovation work. Come Saturday/Sunday I’ll return, around 7:30 a.m., and hope there’s little to no traffic and the lighting is good for video. So, stay tuned to this channel for more On the Red-tailed nest, Observation Day_##, coming up!
Oh, by the way, what I got from Observation Day_01:
I believe I’ve already improved.
Now it’s your turn. What’s up in your world, nature and changes? Let us know in the comments and as always please include your location, and photos if you got ‘em!