![\"red-tailed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/red-tailed-hawk-0716-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI’ve been watching a Red-tailed Hawk nest in remote Tooele County for about five years now.\u00a0In the spring and\u00a0early summer I watch it through my lens from afar just to see\u00a0if the adults fledge any youngsters. Most years they do but success is far from guaranteed.<\/p>\n
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1\/2000, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n Just over two years ago (3\/25\/14) I photographed the adults as they mated in a juniper fairly near the nest. It’s\u00a0fun and interesting to watch the birds from mating through incubation of the eggs, care and feeding of the young and eventual fledging but successful nesting is a long process fraught with pitfalls and one never knows the outcome.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/400, f\/5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II,<\/em> Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/p>\n Two days ago I found both\u00a0adult hawks\u00a0near the nest (one was perched in the nest tree) so I believe that\u00a0this year’s nesting process has begun. As usual the birds and the nest\u00a0were\u00a0too far away for good photographs (I never get out of my pickup or leave the road)\u00a0but one of them did land in a nearby juniper for a few moments so I was able to get a couple of decent shots in good light.<\/p>\n Almost certainly this bird is one of the mated pair I’ve been following at the nest over the years and I can’t tell you how happy I am to have them back. I look forward to watching them on and near\u00a0the nest as the long,\u00a0labor intensive process of raising youngsters proceeds. During that time the bare tree will grow leaves, the parents will spend\u00a0countless hours on the nest in all kinds of weather (the female does most, though not all of the incubation) and\u00a0the chicks will hatch and require almost constant feeding as they grow quickly and eventually fledge.<\/p>\n At least in theory. Lots of things\u00a0can\u00a0(and sometimes do)\u00a0go wrong during the extended process.<\/p>\n I\u00a0wish them luck.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’ve been watching a Red-tailed Hawk nest in remote Tooele County for about five years now.<\/p>\n![\"red-tailed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/red-tailed-hawk-0239-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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