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#redtailedhawk

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Red-tailed Hawk preying on a Gray Squirrel, observed at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, yesterday.

There is a nesting pair of Red-tailed Hawks with two fledged chicks on one of the dorm buildings. As I was leaving, this adult soared low over a lawn and up into a nearby tree, pursued by some Blue Jays. A large Eastern Gray Squirrel decided to join in with the Blue Jays, and got way too cocky. The hawk grabbed the squirrel.

The Jays eventually left off and the hawk began feeding on its prey. However, the squirrel was too large for the Red-tailed to take flight, so s/he glided down to a lawn area and continued to feed, while the partner and the offspring called and then perched nearby.

This summer we’ve had a family of red-tailed hawk nesting in one of our pine trees - two parents and two chicks (which we learned are called eyasses). Last week one of the chicks was learning how to fly by jumping from one side of our deck to the other…..plus learning to walk (a bit like watching a drunk 80 year-old). Today three of them were hanging out together in another tree.

Raptor’s Vigil

Charlie and I took a new route for this morning’s walk. My planned path was blocked, so we pivoted north instead of south. Near the turnaround point, I spotted two red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), each perched in a different tree to the southeast. Unfortunately, getting closer wasn’t an option—some areas were fenced off, while others were thick with tall brush. Wearing shorts, I wasn’t about to wade through grass and foliage.

Check out breathtaking photos of magnificent birds of prey, visit my photo gallery here:

swede1952-photographs.pixels.c

#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography#hawk #RedTailedHawk #raptor #BirdofPrey