I thought about entitling this post, "leaves, leaves, leaves!" But each time I think about complaining about what I can't see because of the leaves, I remind myself that this incredibly thick canopy protected the nest and its young from sun, wind, rain and interference perfectly. And this old-growth, thick forest is the habitat of these amazing Red-shouldered hawks.
The real fun of this visit was the amazing moment of seeing the juvenile, a stationary mass that on passing glance as I lowered my binoculars, looked like a clump of fallen leaves. That I spotted him at all was the unexpected peak of Friday's visit. Seeing him clearly confirmed what I could only speculate before, that he/she has fledged and is flying from branch to branch within the nesting territory but not yet hunting. 
On a prior visit, I witnessed the male's strike and heard the calling of what I believed to be two juveniles as the male brought the prey to the nest. The parent then flew to the back of the nest house. This was another moment of lucky timing. My reading confirms this is typical care of hawk young at this age of maturity. The juveniles are now 48-51 days old. The parents leave the juveniles alone for much of the day, visiting only long enough to drop off prey. 
Even though the image above is not clear, you can still see a small amount of white and brown streaked breast feathers.
Sketchbook note: "I could not have been more surprised. I was looking at the nest through my binoculars and noticed what I thought was a clump of leaves. A second look and I discovered this beautiful juvenile perched on a low branch near the nest. Today marks 48 days counting from April 26 when I first saw a nestling. The parents hunt now, drop prey off and leave again. Although I heard calling in the distance, the adults did not return during my 3- hour visit."Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #42 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds and the habitat they live in.
Vickie, I do love your sketchbook!
ReplyDeleteYour sketches are amazing. The leaves definitely add to the beauty - and shows its habitat well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Arija!
ReplyDeleteAmila, the leaves are thick and glorious this year. It was nice to have both worlds, the beautiful canopy and nice look at the juvenile!
Great observations - and even better to get some photos! Your sketches are fascinating!
ReplyDeleteWow, what fantastic work, Vickie. Found you over at Bird Photography Weekly. Your sketches are out of this world. That juvenile hawk must have been quite a sight to observe.
ReplyDeleteHow cool to follow along the growth and maturation of this red-shouldered hawk! I, too, love your sketchbook!
ReplyDeleteIt must have felt rewarding to see the juvenile perched out of the nest after all the time you've spent watching the parents and the nest. You were so lucky to get those photos of the bird considering how leafy the habitat is.
ReplyDeleteHi Mick. Thank you! Its funny how the joy of an experience motivates creativity.
ReplyDeleteHi, Heather. Welcome and thanks. I was very happy to see him! This is the first sketchbook of this sort I've made so I'm having fun with it and the opportunity to get a glimpse into this family's life.
Thank you, Monika. It has been a fun and rewarding experience.
Hi, Diane. The leaves have been a challenge and the hawks' habit of perching on leafy lower branches makes them almost impossible to find even when they're calling. I was delighted to get this look at the juvenile.
I adore your sketchbook, Vickie! You capture the essence of the image so well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bob and Cynthia. Keeping this sketchbook has been both a challenge and a rewarding endeavor. It's a fun way to celebrate what I've witnessed and enjoyed about these hawks.
ReplyDeleteVickie, your sketches are fabulous & capture the essence of this natural wildlife moment.
ReplyDeleteI truly wish I had your talent but will have to make do with words & the occassional decent photo. Cheers Frank.
http://fabearlybirder.blogspot.com/
Vickie, I really enjoyed this post. The narrative was lovely and your artwork, as always, spectacular. You're lucky you were able to see the juvie!
ReplyDeletegreat illustration there, selling any of then yet?
ReplyDeleteYour sketches more than make up for what the camera lens didn't get this week Vickie.
ReplyDeleteYou know how I love your Red-shouldered Hawks as I view their family vicariously through your eyes. How rewarding it is to take part in nature as you have with the hawk's nesting and rearing their young this season. It is a time I'm sure you will never forget.
Thank you for sharing it all with us!
You are quite the artist..and I am glad I have come back here to catch up on all your posts!
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