Hawks nesting now that the owls have gone

The baby owls graduated last week and I have seen them over in the buffalo pens and haystacks rat hunting. The two adults were back at the nest tree today.

Today we noticed a hawk sitting on a nest and when I stopped to take a picture it flew up on to this limb and screamed at me for disturbing her

Nice shot. I wouldn't leave a small dog out if you have one.

Don Lovel said:

The baby owls graduated last week and I have seen them over in the buffalo pens and haystacks rat hunting. The two adults were back at the nest tree today.

Today we noticed a hawk sitting on a nest and when I stopped to take a picture it flew up on to this limb and screamed at me for disturbing her

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Nice photo!...really catches her trepidation of you.

coach said:

Nice shot. I wouldn't leave a small dog out if you have one.

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Speaking of dogs, I had mine with me when we came across a Redtail Hawk up in the branches like Don's bird.
Now, my dogs go 60-80 pounds, but that hawk was giving us all the eye.


Regards,
Greg

Anybody know what species that handsome hawk is? Not one I'm familiar with.

Those three dog buddies look like they can take care of just about anything! Sturdy critters!

Great pix!

I doubt any hawk or eagle would want to tangle with those dogs. Now a pterodactyl might take them on.

The identity of species for this bird;

1. Yellow eyes
2. Dark gray/black beak
3. Chest size, shape, and coloring
4. Big bird
5. Shape and color of tail (unknown) is best way to identify this bird.
6. Distribution across the U.S. is coast to coast and Canada to Mexico

It is a Red Tail Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

Don,

When you next sight this bird, look at size, shape and color of the tail. That is best way to confirm if
Red Tail Hawk, which you may already know.

SATCOM

we have a bunch of Cooper's Hawks, lots of Red Tails, lately I have seen some of the prettiest Kestrels I have ever seen anywhere, We have Peregrine falcons that sometimes travel in groups of 4-6 and will work a section of county road, 3 or four of them will sit on the poles and watch as the others strafe the chamisa and rabbitbrush and anything they spook out, the other attack. I saw a Peregrine flying with a jackrabbit bigger than it was. I also have seen Peregrines explode a turtle dove I mid air with a savage high speed strike.
I thought I saw an osprey out on the Russell Lakes waterfowl nesting area, but it may have been an immature Bald Eagle
Regularly we see some big Golden Eagles sitting on the power poles, especially over towards the higher Sangre peaks side of the valley, and from time to time you see Bald eagles anywhere in the valley. Lots of Bald Eagles out in the cauldera and rim rock canyons of western Saguache.
I saw one of the baby owls running on the ground in the buffalo pen chasing ground squirrels in the hay, they can run way faster than you would think their pudgy lookin butts could

Our CA redtails are MUCH lighter in color than that one, which is what threw me off. Beautiful birds and great "pesticide"! Some of the urban ones learn to kill domestic pigeons and that's a real benefit.

Just about every classic Western has the call of a redtail someplace in it, usually when the hero is looking out over a vast panorama for bad guys or Indians, or just admiring God's grandeur! And sometimes you hear that call in movies set thousands of miles from any real redtail....

Mike,

We are fortunate in having Red Tails hunting in our little back yard. Their favorite meal seems to be domestic pigeons followed by squirrels. Parents must teach young ones as this has been going on for 20+ years.
They often eat their kills on the ground.

On our college campus a red tail was a good squirrel killer. Pretty bird until students would see it eating. :mrgreen:

SATCOM

Mike Armstrong said:

Our CA redtails are MUCH lighter in color than that one, which is what threw me off. Beautiful birds and great "pesticide"! Some of the urban ones learn to kill domestic pigeons and that's a real benefit.

Just about every classic Western has the call of a redtail someplace in it, usually when the hero is looking out over a vast panorama for bad guys or Indians, or just admiring God's grandeur! And sometimes you hear that call in movies set thousands of miles from any real redtail....

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Are you sure the call is that of a Redtail vs a Golden Eagle?
gramps

Sounds just like the territorial call of our redtails, and I've heard it up at Leo Carrillo State Park where many of the westerns were shot.

but I'm not sure about golden eagle's call--we see a few but they're usually at about 30,000 ft! Apparently they don't like "The Slurb."

Mike, I was pulling your leg. The calls are very similar if not the same! :mrgreen:
gramps

The bird in the picture was screaming loud enough to hear it with the truck windows rolled up, she was pretty mad at us for stopping to take a picture. Her nest tree sits beside an artesian well pipe so she gets lots of small critters coming for water along with all kinds of water birds, ducks, etc.

Geeze, Gramps, and here I was about to schedule a doc visit--thought it was my sciatica calling!