And a food exchange between their parents.
Note: These photos were taken a week ago today. It was very soon after sunrise and it was cloudy so the light was low and it shows in some of these images. I had many opportunities for flight shots but in those conditions they didn’t turn out well so I’m not including any of them in today’s post.
Five days ago I posted a photo of three of the chicks in this nest but we could only see their heads poking up out of the bowl of the nest so I thought readers might appreciate a much better look at one of the chicks. This was the only time any of the chicks came to the perimeter of the nest and gave me a good look while I was there. I thought it was going to poop over the edge of the nest but it didn’t.
The adults delivered two voles to the chicks while I was there so perhaps this one was looking for another food delivery.
This is the female parent on one of the favorite perches of both adults. This tree is below and to the right of the nest. While the female was perched here the male of the pair….
landed on the hillside to the left of the nest with a vole in his talons. Here he’s turning on the perch soon after landing. He’s carrying the vole with his left foot but here it’s hard to see.
A tighter crop of the same image gives us a little better look at the vole.
The vole was intended for the chicks in the nest so when he took off with it I presumed that’s where he was going so I focused on the nest with my lens and waited for him to arrive.
But he fooled me…
by landing next to the female in the tree instead. Here the male on the left is handing the vole over to his mate. Soon after this photo was taken the male took off to the right, presumably to go hunting again.
At first the female had the vole in her talons but soon she transferred it to her beak and then took off to deliver it to the chicks in the nest.
With Red-tailed Hawks both parents hunt and bring prey to the nest but only the female actually feeds the chicks so that explains why the male delivered the vole to the female in the tree instead of taking it directly to the chicks and feeding them himself.
I love documenting established bird behaviors.
Ron
PS: If you’re interested in bird behaviors you might want to read my reply to the comment Shoreacres made in the comments below.
Wonderful capture of a parenting day for red tails! Must have been very enjoying to watch.
I second the acclaim of all the other folks. Very interesting details that i have never heard of, along with great photos.
And, if you write a book, where can we sign up for the pre-publication order list?!
Don’t hold your breath on a book from me, Nina. Too much work. I worked too many years and I’m retired now. In one of the comments below I was referring to the possibility of someone else’s book.
Fantastic series Ron! Thanks for shariing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
Fascinating AND spectacular.
There is good reason (several good reasons) I start my morning here.
Thank you.
“There is good reason (several good reasons) I start my morning here”
And I’m glad you do. Thanks, EC.
Fascinating — I didn’t know that only the females feed the young. Such a great series, especially the waiting chick and the male turning on his perch. Wowzers — those wings! Also, I wouldn’t argue with you if some more of the handoff shots made it into another post. 😉
“I wouldn’t argue with you if some more of the handoff shots made it into another post”
Marty, most of those handoff shots look very much alike. As a result I wasn’t able to get a catch light in the eye of either of the hawks in any of those shots. Ironically, when I crop the photo I do have a catch light in the eye of the vole.
Hard to believe the chick will look much like the parents in such a short time. Thanks for the lesson in the daily life of a beautiful family.
“Hard to believe the chick will look much like the parents in such a short time”
Isn’t that the truth!
What a great family you’ve discovered, we’re so lucky to have the opportunity to see their activity and learn about their behaviors. I wonder if the poor parents go thru a difficult prey exchange every time? Could be exasperating, intentional or not!
Chris, I don’t know if they have a difficult time of it every time but I do know it isn’t unusual. I’ve seen them struggle with the exchange several times in the past.
What a great series of their behavior. I assumed that both parents fed…love learning something new from you.. Again 😁
Thank you, Diana.
Like everyone else in your posse, I found this behavioral detail ( only the
female doing the actual feeding of the chicks ) very interesting ! Guessing
the division of labor frees the male for more productive hunting time ?
Also, I enjoyed the cropped shot of the male for the close look at his beautiful
underwing markings and coloring……such sharp focus you achieve !
Kris, I had a hard time deciding how to crop that shot. My purpose in cropping tighter was to show the vole off better but the tighter I cropped the less of the hawk we could see.
A very interesting post showing him taking and then transferring the vole to the female so she can take it on to the chicks. I read that they do that, but have never seen it. The photo of him giving the vole to her is really special. If I was writing a book about raptor behaviors I would want that photo for my book. Outstanding series.
Who knows, Everett. Maybe that photo will end up in a book some day.
Wonderful photos and narrative. Loved learning about this special family!
Good. Thank you, Peg.
One of the best sequences ever Ron. Beautiful photography, thanks so much!!
I’m glad you liked it, Jerry. Thanks.
Wonderful series, Ron….. 🙂 Quite talented to hang on to the vole AND the branch at the same time – thought he might drop it in the brush..😳 Interesting that only the female feeds – suppose that keeps it “orderly”. Hadn’t thought about the locked talons – could be an issue tho sooner or later he DOES have to let go….😉
Thank you, Judy.
Great and most interesting photos. I love the photo of the vole exchange. It’s interesting to note that only the female feeds the chicks. I’m looking forward to more photos as these chicks mature…quite fascinating to observe.
Thank you, Kathy.
Your photos always are interesting and aesthetically appealing, but I’m equally taken with the behaviors you show. Getting to see this ‘handoff’ of the vole’s just one example — bird behavior is more intentional and complex than I’ve sometimes assumed.
Shoreacres, that food handoff was pretty interesting to watch. Raptor talons sort of lock on to their prey so while the male was handing the vole to his mate it was hard for him to let go of it. I have many photos of the female tugging at the vole as she tried to pry it off of her mate’s talons. He was trying to cooperate but it wasn’t easy for him.
Interesting!!! maybe he just wanted to make sure she truly really genuinely sincerely had a good grasp on the little bugger 🙂
Thanks, Terri.
While working with Raptor Conservancy of Virginia, I was feeding a nestling great horned owl that had fallen from the nest. He was just getting to the point of feeding himself and had a mouse grasped firmly in his talons. But he couldn’t figure out how to let go of it. So, he fussed and chirped and clacked at his foot – all the while trying to pry the mouse loose. He eventually managed it. He was very pleased with himself and we all had a good laugh.
Neat story, Liz.
Really interesting. Thanks.
Wonderful series! Love learning bird behaviors while enjoying great photos.
Thank you, Joanne.