A new year

All lunch on Monday, I sat and watched the hawks. So did lots of others in the parking lot because they were SO loud!

From Wikipedia:

The Red-tailed Hawk reaches sexual maturity at two years of age. It is monogamous, mating with the same individual for many years. In general, the Red-tailed Hawk will only take a new mate when its original mate dies. The same nesting territory may be defended by the pair for years. During courtship, the male and female fly in wide circles while uttering shrill cries. The male performs aerial displays, diving steeply, and then climbing again. After repeating this display several times, he sometimes grasps her talons briefly with his own.

-Kristi

They're back!

Well, it's not like they ever left, but today walking back from lunch one of the hawks seemed to be nest-building again. I noticed the one platform which previously had the remnants of a nest was clear, the other is where the hawk applied some new nesting material. It was a gray day but I'll take more pictures next week. Excitement again!

-Lisa

Been Awhile

I haven't posted for awhile, since we haven't seen much of the hawks. They come and go. This morning, with the help of our (new) branch camera, I took a photo of the hawks perched atop the tower. Better clarity on this camera. I'll keep an eye out for the owl, too, which was spotted a month ago.


-Lisa

Opus IV

I'VE Been out walking between raindrops looking
for Josue.
La Beaka I spy high upon her tower in her fine
feathered raiment amidst a monsoon shower.


Little nut brown squirrel where did you go?
Did you find a treasure in the knee deep snow?


-Melanie

Ode to Josue and La Beaka Opus lll

Oh Josue and La Beaka,
I've so missed your smiling beakas.
Where have you been?
Are you hunting for prey or praying for a hunt?
Are you riding hot thermals in the blue desert sky or
listening for that plump morning dove's cry?

Love and hawkish kisses,

-Melanie

Good News!

Two weeks ago, Kay said she heard baby hawks in the nest. Last week, Julie was coming back from lunch and saw one of the adults flying in the nest and heard the baby hawks, too. They were still making lots of noise when I went out there to take a picture, with one of the adults on the other platform (you can see the adult from below in the picture). Exciting!



-Lisa Laskaris

A good start to the week

Walking into work Monday morning, I watched one of the hawks take flight from the tower. It struggled against the wind, caught a thermal and gained some height, banked clockwise, struggled again, then caught another thermal and disappeared from sight.

-Monica B