Red-shouldered Hawk

Avian Extravaganza – ND #129

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Red-Shouldered Hawk – Photo: L. Weikel

Avian Extravaganza

While I may be indulging my more reclusive tendencies lately, all of you are never far from my thoughts. So when this blustery, cloud-crowded day proved to be an avian extravaganza, I knew I’d succumb to the temptation and share a few photos of my encounters.

The photo above is a Red Shouldered Hawk – one of several nesting in the trees lining the fields around our home. Yes, they’re nesting; but it’s the mid-air swoops and daredevil dives amidst screams of passion (and sometimes what seems like relentless badgering) that makes their mating the most notable activity.

I only distinctly noticed and accurately identified the Red Shouldered Hawks in our area a year ago. In fact, I wrote about the first relentless mating calls, discernible through closed doors and windows, here just last year. I could’ve sworn it was at least two years ago, but nope. Lucky for me, I have my searchable blog posts at my fingertips to remind me of the exact dates when I started writing about these winged messengers.

Eagle Approaching Nest – Photo: L. Weikel

Eagles, Too

After I managed to sneak up on the Red Shouldered just as it took off from the wire it was perching on, surveying the field for a four-legged snack, I headed down River Road. There’s a place along the Delaware River where a massive eagles’ nest sits wedged in a proportionately gigantic sycamore on the New Jersey side. It never ceases to thrill me to see the heads of eaglets and, more obviously, the white heads of the parents, popping up from that compact-car sized conglomeration of sticks.

Just as I pulled off to the side of the road to see if I could catch a glimpse of these majestic birds of prey, one of the parents hopped up and plunged from the nest. Its broad wingspan scooped the air and it soared upriver, eluding my efforts to catch a photo of it in flight. I was excited by the sighting – I’ll forever be a child of the DDT era, when all our raptors were in serious threat of extinction – and decided to wait to see if Mommy or Daddy might return pretty quickly.

My patience was rewarded! I don’t think I had to wait longer than five or ten minutes before I caught sight of its return. And while I’m sharing the best ‘still’ shot I can manage, I wish I could upload the ‘live’ shot that captures this gorgeous bird sweeping upward and landing in the nest. It may be hard to discern the eagle because of the outstanding way in which its coloring blends so well with the sycamores and other trees lining the river.

Turkeys: “On your marks, get set, GO!” – Photo: L. Weikel

Yet Another Gift

Later today, the pups and I were cramming in a quick walk before it started sleeting. Lo and behold, four turkeys were having a little coffee klatch in the middle of the field when all of a sudden they decided to take cover. Never underestimate the speed of a running turkey. They are hilariously fast on their feet.

But when Turkey shows up in your life, it’s often heralding a gift that you need to recognize and be grateful for receiving. The turkeys I saw today reminded me of just how incredibly lucky I am to receive the gift (Turkey) of a message (Hawk) from Spirit (Eagle). And the message was probably to savor the richness of the avian extravaganza surrounding me.

For while I’m only including photos of these three species (and none of them doing justice to their subjects), I was also graced with the presence of geese, black vultures, turkey vultures, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, mourning doves, sparrows, goldfinches, cardinals, starlings, and fish crows. And while it was a tad too cold today, I actually had my first hummingbird visit my porch on Sunday.

And the only thing better than receiving the gift of having all of these birds show up in my life all in one day, was the message – the reminder – from Spirit that I have friends with whom to share my joy.

(T+129)

Barred Owl – ND #84

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Barred Owl – Lehigh Valley Zoo

Barred Owl

During our walk tonight, Karl and I heard the call of a Barred Owl again along the same stretch of woods as last time. We both stopped dead in our tracks when we heard it. (Actually all four of us became utterly still at the same moment, Brutie and Pacha’s senses suddenly on high alert.) It was so weird – two hoots and it stopped. One to get our attention and a second to confirm the connection.

We waited for just a bit, perhaps 30 seconds, before deciding to continue walking home. It’s interesting how l-o-n-g thirty seconds can seem in a situation like that, when you’re expectantly waiting for something to happen that may never actually materialize. It can seem like an eternity!

I find it fascinating that in all our 36 years of living here, we only heard our first Barred Owl ever (here in our neck of the woods) last month. (Follow that link and you can hear the recording I made of its call.) And now, three weeks later, it spoke to us again.

Two New Neighbors

When I looked up Barred Owl on the Peterson’s Guide to Birds app on my phone, I discovered that they are known to not only nest in the hollow of trees but also in the nests of Red-Shouldered Hawks.

I realize that some readers of my blog who live within a 25 miles radius of us do actually encounter Barred Owls often. I assume you also have plenty of Red-Shouldered Hawks too. But they’re both new neighbors to us – and I find it fascinating that they’re known to have that symbiotic connection vis-à-vis nesting.

I haven’t had a chance yet to look them up again in my resources, but given that both have featured very prominently in the skies overhead lately, I think I should.

Red-Shouldered Hawk – Photo: L. Weikel

Red-Shouldered Hawk

I see I wrote about the Red-Shouldered Hawks doing a mating dance over our head(s) back on March 9-10, 2021. I’d never heard their call or seen them before. Inasmuch as one screeched its head off just this past Sunday, literally causing Pacha and Brutus to duck their heads defensively when they heard its call and saw its shadow glide across our yard, I find their reliable sense of timing impressive in its consistency.

I’m just thrilled that both Red-Shouldered Hawk and Barred Owl have decided to come into our lives together this year. I look forward to learning more about what they’re heralding.

(T+84)

Long Sips of Water – Day 960

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Catbird – Photo: L. Weikel

Long Sips of Water

I made a point this morning of making sure the birdbath in our yard was filled with fresh, cold water. While the feeders in our yard were visited only sporadically, the ol’ watering hole attracted more attention than it usually does. I have to admit it made me smile to see so many Goldfinches and Blue Jays luxuriating in taking long sips of water.

One thing I learned today? It’s a sure thing the songbirds are thirsty when they’re at the bird bath and don’t seem to pay a whit of attention to the Red-shouldered Hawk screeching in the field beside the house. (Which also makes me wonder: do hawks stay hydrated by eating plump songbirds? Yikes.)

Beyond taking risks that they rarely dare, it’s clear to me that our feathered friends are feeling the effects of the oppressive heat and humidity. I don’t know about you, but dogs and cats make their discomfort in the heat fairly obvious. Birds generally do not.

So it was a little creepy to see some finches and woodpeckers standing on the feeder posts with their beaks open. I assumed this was the closest thing to panting birds do. But it was unsettling. I kept wondering if maybe I’d just never paid close enough attention to my birds in the summer.

Goldfinches – Photo: L. Weikel

Worrisome News

Just as I was talking out loud to my birds (and grudgingly acknowledging the presence of the gray squirrels, red squirrels, and chippies), I came across this unsettling article. It seems birds are dying in record numbers in states all around us as well as further to the south, and scientists have yet to figure out what’s happening.

Sadly, the speculation is that it may either be a disease or perhaps the use of pesticides to kill off the Brood X Cicadas. The thought of that makes me want to scream in frustration. First of all, I cannot understand why anyone would be trying to kill the cicadas. There’s so much literature readily available on the nature of the cicadas and how they benefit virtually every part of the ecosystem.

Second of all, it’s bad enough that people want to kill these red-eyed whirring wonders simply because they’re noisy, or inconvenient, or ‘scary looking.’ But to do it with poison? When people know (or would know if they stopped for even half a second to think about it or read anything on the subject) that other animals eat cicadas? Do they really forget that there’s something called a food chain in healthy ecosystems? Is it really so hard to think beyond our own very personal, very self-centered

Moving Forward

I’m writing about this today not in an effort to shame those people who either don’t care about cicadas or actively dislike them enough to aggressively try to kill them, but rather to alert us all to the need to keep an eye on our birds.

There are some suggestions at the end of the article on what to do if you find a dead bird. Working together perhaps we can be a part of the solution to the crisis.

It seems we’re screwing things up pretty well via climate change. The least we can do is help our fellow creatures out by providing clean fresh water, especially in this searing heat, and taking care not to poison them. A low bar indeed.

Blue Jays are susceptible – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-151)

On the Move – Day 861

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Half Moon Geese – Photo: L. Weikel

On the Move

There were a lot of creatures on the move today. From two leggeds to four leggeds to winged ones, movement was the name of the game.

For the first time in several days, I heard the distinctive call of the Red-shouldered Hawk again today. I’m pretty sure at least one pair made their nest directly across the road from us. Probably because the missus wanted to be near the raptor equivalent of Friendly’s (aka our bird feeders). Nevertheless, it was good to hear it again and know that they are staying close.

I was also excited to hear the calls of a couple fish crows today, too. I wonder if each week we’ll be welcoming another returning champion back into the fold.

Walk-about

Because we couldn’t allow today’s perfect weather to be enjoyed on a simple walk-around, we took the long way, a walk-about. I should’ve kept track of how many fields of deer we encountered along the way. It’s funny – they’re almost as common as sparrows anymore. It’s kind of surprising to think that a field full of deer doesn’t even merit a photo. I guess I didn’t even try to take photos when we encountered fields of 8 – 15 – 30 deer because they I simply couldn’t capture them from a perspective that did them justice.

But I did manage to sneak a photo of one lone doe as she tried her very best to blend into her background. I could almost hear her in my head, “You don’t see me; you don’t see me.”

They Can’t See Me, They Can’t See Me – Photo: L. Weikel

Winning the Prize

But the species that wins the prize for most raucous and greatest number of participants this weekend definitely goes to the Canadian Geese as they played their classic hit, ‘flying due North in huge flocks,’ a perennial favorite.

The geese flying North today were outrageously vocal and seemed to be flying in shifts. They kept coming, wave after wave of honking hollerers. By the time our entire walk-about was complete, we’d seen hundreds and hundreds of geese overhead.

They were fairly high, so I felt a similar trepidation in attempting to capture the beauty (and magnitude) of their flight as I did the herds of deer. But the photo I managed that includes the quarter square (half) moon felt worth the effort.

My movement tomorrow is going to consist of engaging in some serious clutter clearing. It’s time to get the energy flowing. The movement of all the critters has inspired me!

Only a Few of the Many – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-250)

Hawklets – Day 850

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Keeping an eye on the feeders – Photo: L. Weikel

Hawklets

Yesterday’s post celebrated my identification of the very vocal and aerobatic presence of Red-shouldered Hawks in our hamlet. (Yes, the cluster of homes on our road was at one time designated a hamlet on old maps.) This evening I’m happy to report that the sky-dancing, shrieking, gift-giving (or so it appeared), and outright over-the-top public displays of affection (read: avian lust) continued today. If vigorous persistence is any barometer of success, we’re going to have some hawklets in the neighborhood this year. Not a real word, but it’ll be my word for the larger chicks hanging out this year.

And if the breeding information provided by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is accurate, it sounds like this behavior could last until the end of the month (although I can’t fathom why it should take so long – they sure looked like they were getting lucky yesterday and today), with a nest of 3 to 4 eggs being the result. I believe we should have hatchlings sometime in May – but won’t actually see them fledge (if we’re privy to that, of course) until the end of June to mid July.

Even though I knew they were hanging around our house because we provide a post-coital snack bar, they were almost annoyingly obvious about that today. Choosing to mess around on the branch of a tree right by our driveway gave them the added bonus of being able to keep a hawkeye on our feeders. And boy, did those Red-shoulders create anxiety in everybody else.

Cardinal in Flight – Photo: L.Weikel

Other Avian Love

Both yesterday and today the number of cardinals – and their obvious affection for each other – was almost as noticeable as the hawks’ enthusiasm for each other. It appears we may be supporting at least four mating pairs of Cardinals this year, too!

But the lengths all the other birds had to go to in order to avoid being snatched up by lust-fueled starving Hawk beaks were extensive. Hours at a time would go by with only the calls of the Red-shoulders piercing the quiet. But then, gradually, the lookouts would probably advise that the predators were napping or something because all of a sudden the feeders and the branches surrounding the feeders would become a cacophony of chatter.

One Last Spring Exclamation

PEEPERS! Last night we heard a few early birds. The first to hatch in the primordial ooze that is known as swampy field land near High Rocks State Park entered life singing. Tonight, those brave newbies were joined by significantly more buddies. Not yet deafening, they were still making lovely music together this evening.

As I said yesterday, this initial taste of true springtime weather did not disappoint!

(T-261)

Did Not Disappoint – Day 849

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Red-shouldered Hawk – Photo: L. Weikel

Did Not Disappoint

Well, I must admit – the anticipation I was feeling last night over the prospect of a serious taste of spring was not only met but exceeded. In short, today did not disappoint.

The sap – both proverbial and literal – is indeed rising in Mother Nature’s many splendored children. The excitement attendant to simply being alive and having survived a very snowy winter was palpable everywhere I looked (and listened).

It’s this listening part that had the biggest impact upon me today. Early this morning, as Karl and I were having our coffee and picking our cards for the day we heard a very loud and distinct bird call sounding an alarm that neither of us recognized. We both noticed it; the bird’s urgency was clear and unmistakable – and it sounded like it was practically right outside our front door, perhaps sitting in the lanky pine trees across the road.

Slowly opening the front door so I could hear the call more clearly and perhaps get a glimpse of this intriguing new vocalist, the simple warmth of the outside air enveloped my senses. Oh my, such a dramatic change. How is it that even though I knew to expect this lovely shift in the weather it nevertheless stopped me in my tracks and demanded I breathe deeply.

There it was again! That call! My eyes scanned the sky. There! I called to Karl to quickly come and see. At least two hawks were quite literally dancing in the sky just above us. I could see (and hear) another one, maybe two, also darting and swooping in and out of my line of vision. Another was perching in a still bare beech tree a hundred yards down the road.

Raptor ID

I checked my trustee “Raptor ID” app and was quickly able to identify the distinctive cry of these Red-shouldered Hawks. I’m extremely surprised, to be honest, that I’ve never isolated this cry in my mind well enough to identify it as a Red-shoulder. After today, I guarantee I’ll never forget it.

These birds were very clearly in full mating mode, calling and dancing, tumbling and soaring. I’ve honestly never witnessed such a full-on display of pure avian joy and desire to mate and create life. I was surprised to read that they tend to be monogamous and mate for life.

Fascinating.

Photo: L. Weikel

A Message and Realization

While I’m intimately familiar with Hawk in general being a messenger – when they show up it’s often a sign that a message is coming our way or we’re being asked to be a messenger in our own right – I wondered if the Red-shouldered has a particular significance (aside from being the creatures that I suspect snack readily on our smaller birds).

The most I could find specifically on the Red-shoulder was in Animal Speak* by Ted Andrews. As with the Red-tailed Hawk, which are found in abundance in our area (but they don’t tend to hang around near our house) was a focus upon its red (ferrous) coloring and the particularly intense vibrancy of energy they may be indicating is arriving in one’s life. They could be considered instigators of new ideas and optimism, hope and creative opportunities.

All I can say is that I was smitten by the intensity of their ardor. They entertained me for hours, even after I successfully identified them and did my best to capture some photos with my phone.

As I re-settled myself on our porch and started focusing upon my own creative endeavors, I realized with a mixture of delight and dismay that these predators are definitely hanging out on every side of our house – and sticking close. This clip captures both their call – and the probable reaction of all our ‘regulars.’

Red-shouldered Hawk – Photo: L. Weikel

*affiliate link

(T-262)