Cornell Red Tailed Hawk cam:
 

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This is pretty interesting!

We had a huge hawk in our yard today, trying for the squirrels.
Created much commotion and weird warning cries.

I got a photo too.... I think it might be a juvenile red tailed hawk...because it was so large. But not sure.

Too cute!

Thanks for that. Mum is busy preening her big babies. lol

I just love these webcams.

Just had 4 more flying around here... they didn't stop however and flew up the creek to the golf course area. Huge really huge.
All brown. Not a bird or squirrel in sight or within hearing either!

They were circling the parking lot on the other side of the creek where the Farmer's Market was this morning. Checking for trash/and squirrels, etc.

Not too long ago on the Hawk cam, was a starling on the railing giving the hawk mother grief. The hawk was positioning herself between the starling and her babies and giving the bird the evil eye! ;)

Neat how she's standing up keeping the sun off the babies.

Thanks for the link.

Looks like even hawk moms have a time getting their kids to settle for the night.:)

Since I became disabled, one of the things I really enjoy is watching the birds at my feeding station. Before, I was too busy to pay much attention.

mrsD
 

p.s. I forgot to say that the photos you took in your yard are just incredible.

Thank you, Lara. I had just put my allergy eye drops in (terrible pollen here this spring)...and couldn't see a thing...all blurred up.

Hubby ran in and grabbed me to take the photos. I couldn't even see the screen clearly. I was very surprised to catch that mid-air shot, as I didn't see it. (but then when doing birds I click fast shots and out of many there will usually be one or 2 good enough to keep.)

Today we had a large hawk again, but it was white underneath the wings. Yesterday's was brown under the wings. I think they are migrating thru us to go upNorth.

These hawks are so big they throw a huge shadow across the yard. I can't recall this many in past years. ;)

lol, what a story you tell. You did very well indeed then if you had blurred vision. The birds are very clear. I really wish I had a good camera, I'd use it all the time.

Maybe you're seeing so many because of the climate. It's been so icy cold there and suddenly it sounds as if it's quite hot for this time of the year, so they could be on the move early.

I was looking at the temp. in Ithaca N.Y. before and it was 84F and even in my climate, that's pretty warm. The BR bird was just standing perched on the hot railing in the middle of buildings. Wouldn't be much breeze up there.

Keep the camera ready and take lots of pics!

I use an automatic camera. It has several settings you select from a wheel on top. When I am outside shooting an animal or bird or butterfly, it might focus on a near object and blur the subject. So I set it on Landscape before I went out there. This is rather a fail safe setting and I use it for nature/water shots, sunsets etc. It was sunny out so there was plenty of light. All I had to do was zoom some. It also has some jiggle stabilization, but when I get real excited it is hard to hold still even with it.

This is a Sony 20x zoom, and has really been nice for me.
I was never really into film cameras... too much time between the shooting and developing. But the digitals give instant results and now I love taking photos!

Here is a new one of Mrs. Goldfinch taking some nesting cotton I took yesterday:

And the second one is Mrs. QuackQuack in our yard yesterday, illustrating the distance focus advantage with Landscape tool.

You know we haven't seen Mr. QuackQuack at all since Sunday morning. He likes to sit on the neighbor's mansard roof, and I wonder if a hawk took him? She was here alone today again. sigh. I hope he is just sitting on the eggs for her, so she can visit our feeder. They have been very tame and here alot more this spring than usual.

Stunning photos! Thanks for showing them here.

I sure hope Mr QuackQuack is alright.

Some interesting things on the hawk cam today...
there is a replay of a starling entering the hawk nest, and one
one the hatchlings tries to catch it with his foot.

They still have their fluff, but some pin feathers appear to be coming in.

You can see much more of them compared to the Norfolk eagle cam.

Your hawk photos are excellent! You might consider sharing them with folks at Gardenweb.com, in the birdwatching forum. Or maybe blowing them up and framing. I use Walgreens online system - it's easy.

Thank you Sparky.... it was such a fluke that I managed those photos! It was pure chance and luck!

I am fast with the camera, and it is automatic, and I just click away. Some come out some don't.

I had just put allergy drops in my eyes that day and couldn't see much to even frame them. So I just did my click away thing and some came out. I guess it was destined! ;)

The starling nest to the left....of the cam...finally resulted in action from one of the parent hawks..There is a video for this but it is rather gruesome IMO so I won't put it up.

These starlings have been daring and heckling the chicks so this morning one of the parents was caught and killed.

The remaining parent starling is very agitated right now and causing more grief... if not careful, he will become lunch.

I saw the starlings in the video yesterday hopping around the nest. :eek:
I figured they wouldn't last long.

I hope both adult starlings weren't killed. That'd be sad too.
Nature.

The chat line that is on that cam seems to be lots of people who know each other and also the cam operators. For example a person on the chat will make a comment, and within a very short time frame (minutes) the cam will zoom in response.

When the starling was "taken care of" the content of the chat became disrespectful and it was temporarily closed until the comments settled down. The moderator there did not want joking or gruesome statements because in nature all sorts of unpleasant things happen. I found that action very interesting!

The general consensus was that the starling may have made motions against one of the chicks...the one who typically sits near that opening to the starling nest. I saw more than once a starling with a beak full of bugs/worms coming to feed their chicks and the hawk chick made lunges toward it several times over a couple of days.

In the video linked by the moderator there, that chick observes and watches its parent kill the starling, which was a protracted event. So it was unfortunate for the starling but instructional for the hawk chick!

We have alot of starlings here...they can be raucous and loud etc. In severe winters they will come to our suet feeder and push the other birds away like the woodpeckers and nuthatches and chickadees.

behind the scenes at Cornell
 

Here is a video on how they made the cam... all the difficulties that had to be solved:


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It is pretty interesting.

Also I see this morning that a fledged starling was taken as food today. :rolleyes: The chat is banning people also today who are not conforming to the Cornell rules of behavior.

One of the starling nestlings has wandered into the hawk nest.

It is begging for food, and the 3 chicks are just watching it!

Very strange!

Oh, ick...one of the hawk chicks is trying to kill it now! Don't tune if you are faint of heart!

Oh gosh...nothing like this at the eagle nests...that is for sure!

Since the starlings on the Hawk Cornell site became a problem, and were eaten and the remaining evicted... a discussion on the chat there discusses a starling vs Kestrel fight for a nest box:


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The Kestrel won in the end.

Cornell offers a free app on bird ID.... I downloaded it yesterday to our phone, and tried it this morning. I thought it would be helpful on vacation.

It is really nice. It asks you questions on size, color, etc and you push search and bingo up comes your bird. Right off is a portrait of the hawk I saw on Mother's day here...it is indeed a immature Red Tailed hawk! They compile data from people using the app too so I did the survey...it was really quick. And I felt useful participating in that in return for the free app.


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It took ages to download, and I finally rebooted the phone and it then asked to install...so if it sticks like that for you...after 1/2 hr then just reboot. They ask for an email for you to confirm your use of the app which goes to your email. I suspect it is a research tool, gathering data on bird migration and movements etc.

One of the hawk chicks fledged on June 6th. There is a video of it
flying to land on a narrow ledge of the nearby white building...it misses and hangs on with one talon for a while...looks painful, but it recovers and the chat says it is doing okay so far.

:eek:

I just watched the footage.
It's just amazing to see that. How awful.
I hope the bird's leg is alright. ouch

The people in the chat are talking about it being on the ledge still, but I can't see it there myself. Maybe just out of view with the steel in the way or something.

I must say they grew fast! wow

There is live streaming from a birder volunteer


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Thanks so much for that. I couldn't find the audio myself for some reason.

Some very kind person just sent it to me. ;)

Yikes.

edited to add:
How dramatic. I can't believe I'm watching this.
Karel's battery is running out.

E2, the chick that fledged early, is now in a tree in the parking lot.


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All seems well so far. The streaming link is the same as yesterday's. Lots of drama when they fledge! ;)

New live streaming link:

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E2 is in another tree today, and looking good. He/she is sitting out in the open so parents can see to bring the food better.

I am really enjoying the audio with Karel the photog, explaining things, being funny, and talking to passerbys. I think if I were young again, I'd really be falling for HIM. I like his style (compassionate) and observations and vocabulary, and droll humor. He seems tireless too, as it has to be tiring and difficult to do what he is doing for everyone to watch and understand the birds.
(he has already claimed that doing this job on the ground making the videos and livestream, is a "chick magnet"... LOL --better than having a puppy, I guess? LOL

The other fledgings look like they might fledge very soon, maybe today. They are sitting on the very edge of the ledge for a good takeoff. There is discussion about this possibility this morning.

I am enjoying these birds much more than the eagles, I have to say. Cornell does a wonderful job with this task.

New livestream link for today:

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It appears to change frequently.

This is his page with archived videos...

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He does the "cliff" nests too. I'm going to check those out today. ;)

Thanks!
It's been very nice to wake up and find the links posted here to save me hunting them down today.

Karel's video and audio yesterday was very enjoyable.
I was lucky enough to wake up in time for E2 to finally be fed.
It was amazing watching the mother and father hawks sitting together on top of one of the buildings almost as if they were discussing what needed to be done to help E2. The mother (I forget her name or number this second) was quite a lot smaller than the father bird.

I'm enjoying it also. Very much.


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This one Live Now. as I post

Cornell Lab have been amazing too.
They are posting the new Karel livestreams as he changes them.
I shall send them an email thanking them for their work as I've enjoyed it so much.

Oh, E2 is sitting on the back of a bench in a big beautiful garden!

A parent is on the roof the the building opposite!

How lovely it is watching this!

Karel is explaining how the parents put the chipmunk on the bench and E2 ate it right there!

E2 is still in good shape this morning. Karel is signing off to go to work.

It was emotional last night watching E2 desperately calling to Mom to feed. She is trying to lure him higher where it is safer.
This morning he is on the old greenhouse and was on a ledge in the ivy earlier. No one knows if he has been fed, but I suspect so, since the crying has stopped.

He seems to be able to fly side to side at lower altitudes, but going UP is difficult for him so far. Hasn't learned how to do it yet, or doesn't have the strength yet.

Here is an interesting story from not far from where we live:

Red Tailed Hawk divebombs a golfer at golf course: June 6th.


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Thought to be protecting its nest (and young).

Almost 6pm tonight, and watched MOM BigRed bring in a whole chipmunk for E2.... he/she is eating heartily and BR just returned with 1/2 chippie and ate next to him on the top of the old greenhouse. It is quite a sight! fascinating that they have this dynamic. ;)

Not enough hours in the day...

I haven't had time to check on them this morning but will shortly.

I actually watched the parent bird drop off the "chippie" to E2 yesterday morning live.

:o I found it a little difficult to watch as I'd only woken up, but it was great he finally got a good feed.

It's a beautiful looking University there.
Karel was pointing the lens at E2 on the roof of the greenhouse and just behind was the ivy on the wall of the building and a little "Juliet" balcony with a door. They were calling it the door to Narnia.

Incredible.

OK, I'd better go check them out today. Must almost be time for the other two to leave the safety of the nest. The camera operators will be busy and excited then.

I did see one of the Cornell people in the chat saying that with early fledglings, the life expectancy is lowered in the first year of life. Interesting.

Edited to say: Brrrrrrrrrr, looks freezing and windy there today.

I thought I'd take a peek to see what they were doing today.
It's a big new day for the babies.
I checked on the two in the nest a few hours ago and they were all cosy and sleeping together.
Now we have one on the ledge testing his/her wings.
A good morning for a fledge. :D

I'll probably be asleep when it happens.
I hope that E2 got through the windy night alright.
I didn't know that they were able to lock into place so they didn't fall out of tree branches when asleep.


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Yes, Lara. It seems the two in the nest are quite cozy now.

I think E2 (the one that fledged early) was the one who stayed as far away from the other 2 as possible.

Some photos were put up yesterday, stills. So I did a screen capture myself.
There are at times situations where the smaller E3 helps to preen the Large E1. Also they do a beak kissing.. not pecking, but some sort of kissing it looks like. Yesterday they were quite a pair sleeping most of the day, getting stronger. Today there may be a fledge.

It was mentioned in chat that Karel works for Cornell in the alumni division. And also can sing and play the violin. But alas he is married...:o Yes the area where the birds are is beautiful with those gardens, Plant Sciences Building, and the old building with the "door to Narnia" as Karel affectionately calls it. He also calls it the "door to nowhere". LOL

Also yesterday afternoon BR Mom actually FED them a chippie! Haven't seen her do that in a while now. It was rather sweet. It is like she "knows" the fledge will be very soon now.

Oh, I just went there this morning and E2 is on the white building window ledge like the first day of fledge. I guess he will try for the nest today? Some peeping going on this morning... BR Mom is on the roof of that building too.
E2's crop looks large, so he may have been fed this morning, earlier.

E2 returned to the nest for food, today around noon. I missed it, but here is a YouTube about it:


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So now there are the 3 fledglings in the nest today. Who knows how long that will last though? ;)

When E2 returned to the nest he/she was rather hyper... claiming both chipmunk and squirrel that BR Mom had brought (which lured him back). This unusual photo is of Mom getting angry
and putting E2 in order! After this confrontation, things settled down and Mom ended up feeding E2 as usual.


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I noticed that both parent hawks, BR and Ezra have bands on their legs.

How would anyone have been able to put bands on their legs? :confused:

Anyway, the show goes on. All 3 in the nest again for now.

Lara, they explained long ago about the bands. The bands were not put there by Cornell.

This quote is from the information tabs below the livestream window.

I guess they banded them like the eagles were banded. Taken from the nest when younger, put in bags and weighed and banded. The eagles at Norfolk were banded before they could do much or even stand up. One whole day was devoted to it on the cam stream back then. Virginia biologists even put a radio on one eagle at this time to follow it as long as the thing stayed on and transmitted, to gather data on eagle ranges.

States here all have different laws and regulations about migratory birds. So banding is often done to see where they go and move around. If a bird ends up in a rehab center, it is most likely banded then.

Very interesting.

Thanks. :)

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Karel live - E1 fledge (apparently missed on cornell cams), currently missing.
E2 left the nest again and is on Plant Science Building.

I caught it all, which was excellent timing.