Several readers requested that I report back about the status of these chicks when I learned anything new.
A week ago I photographed Red-tailed Hawk chicks whose nest had been blown down off a power pole by 80+ mph winds several days before. I’d been following that nest and the progress of the youngsters for many weeks so I was somewhat shocked (but not terribly surprised) to find all three chicks on or near the ground beneath the original nest pole. These two were in the tall grasses directly beneath the pole but the slightly older and more adventuresome one was further away in a pile of dead branches. Both parents were nearby and at the time I didn’t photograph that third chick.
If you’re interested in why I didn’t try to “rescue” them you can see my original post about these birds.
Four days after I originally photographed the chicks on the ground I visited the area once again on June 18 and this is what I found (and didn’t find).
One of the youngsters was still in the pile of dead tree branches with one of its parents standing guard. They’re only a few feet off the ground and it’s likely that this is the same chick that was there before.
I couldn’t see the other two chicks. It’s very possible, perhaps likely, that they were still in the very tall grasses somewhere on either side of the road. But it’s also possible that they didn’t make it – life on the ground at this age carries risks above and beyond those they would face in the nest. I’ll definitely report back if I see them in the future.
There’s two more red-tail nests in this area I’ve been following since early spring and the news from those nests on this same morning was very good. One of them has two healthy chicks and the other has three – all about the same age as this one.
That’s potentially eight fledged youngsters out of three nests in the same general area and there’s likely other nests in the trees and cliffs far from the road that I’m unaware of.
From that perspective it could be a very productive nesting season for Red-tailed Hawks in the area.
Ron
RTH are great parents and will go to extreme effort to protect and feed the chicks.
I just hope they made it.
Thank you for the update Ron. I would like to think they are with the other parent or were able to climb to higher ground. I do hope you see them again.
Ron, thanks for checking on these chicks. Hopefully this story will have a happy ending, but we can’t be sure of that. It is certainly a tragedy for the mother and father.
Life is hard for these, and other, birds. Since reading your blog, I’ve appreciated this fact much more. Thanks for making me aware of these facts.
Thanks for keeping us posted, Ron. Of course my preferred outcome is that the other two are still in hiding — or, better yet, off the ground in a tree somewhere with the other parent! — but I know that the mortality rate among nestlings & fledglings is much higher than I care to dwell on. So, fingers remain X’d for better news down the road … and more pics of other chicks! Wondering about the family nesting on the rocks that you’ve been tracking ….? 😁
There’s three chicks in that nest on the rocks and they’re doing great, Chris! They’re the ones that were “gnawing” on a possible rabbit in the nest that I mentioned in my reply to Dick Harlow, below.
Now *that* news makes me very happy! As I’m sure it does you …. Thanks!
Thank you for the update. I just can’t help but have a sinking feeling about the other two, though.
I think maybe both of us are pessimists by nature, Marty. I prefer to be happily surprised rather than sadly disappointed…
Yup. My partner says that pessimists can never be disappointed, but only pleasantly surprised. He has a point.
Thank you for the update.
I really, really hope the other chicks were lurking in camoflague nearby. But fear for them.
Fingers crossed!
Thanks for the update!!
🙂
Being in the wild is a bit scary, but I so hope all the babies made it. I saw a baby bird on the ground today, it was way too young to be down. I of course wanted to help it but remembered what my dad said. The parents may be near and feeding it and it surely would die in my hands. So he always said leave it be, let the Mama have a chance to watch over it. So I did. But it is hard for me. Now if I saw the owl in barbed wire I would do something like you did Ron. Just so glad to see a parent with the baby in your shot!
Our instinct is always to “help” Barby, but as you mention, very often that would do more harm than good.
I will be very relieved when, and if, you see those other two…they looked very healthy, but very, very vulnerable! I hope they’ve made it….
I’ll feel the same relief, Patty.
Great news, also thanks for the update.
Like other predators, is there a relationship with Red-tails and their productivity with the local food supply?
I would suspect that with the current success rate of young and others in the area not known the prey must be abundant?
Dick, based on the number of road killed rabbits there’s an abundance of them in the area. Usually I see them eating voles but on this day the chicks in one of the other nests were picking at something much larger – very possibly a rabbit.
It is a hard life even when the nest does not blow down. The juveniles need to hunt to support themselves and hopefully there is plenty of food for that many hawks. I am glad there is a local grocery store for me.
If I had to hunt for my food my survival chances wouldn’t be good, April…
Thank you for the update. I’m feeling concerned for the other two chicks, and hope they are okay. It’s hard to think about them not making it., even though I know that’s part of the cycle of life.
I’m concerned for them too, Susan…
Glad for the update. Thanks for checking. I always have a sense of dread when I have to go check on things like this. Too often I see nature’s less forgiving side.
Arwen, I had that same sense of dread as I was coming up on these birds. My greatest fear was that I would find one of them as road kill. Thankfully I didn’t.
At least one for sure is still “making it” – hopefully the other 2 are “around” somewhere. Always have to remind myself that “if they all lived”……….. Thx for checking up on them. The adult seems VERY attentive. 🙂
The adult WAS attentive, Judy. Eventually it flew off but it stayed there for quite a while.