Fair warning – this is a long long post. I feel a need to “chronicle” our time and experience with the pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks we’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy these past two years nesting on our property. I’ve not heard or seen them for five days, and the silence that has fallen is unsettling (uncomfortably quiet to say the least.) After admiring them for several months and being able to witness their courtship over the last three weeks, there’s a “void” in the yard without their ever-presence. And so – since they mean so much to me – they’re worth a “little diary” of sorts, for sure.

Since I’m an amateur, I remind myself of the time the skies were void of their calls and I thought they had left. They hadn’t.

It’s been a great pleasure (more like an honor) to have been able to observe the Red-shouldered Hawks on a daily basis since January (and last year, as well.) I’ve never heard or seen anything as spectacular as their courtship – especially the sky dancing and “dive-bombing” I’ve watched daily these past several weeks.

Last year was the first time we had ever had a Red-shouldered Hawk decide to nest on our property. I found their nest last year after the arrival of this fledgling who seemed to be enjoying testing his vocals.

Working in the garden in the cooler late afternoons is a must when summer arrives. I usually saw this little Phoebe working nearby, too – on the fence rail.

Then I didn’t see the Phoebe for several days. I saw something else on the fence rail – bird droppings (and not a little bit of Phoebe droppings.) I admit it, I was so excited to see it was fledgling poop!)

I don’t know who enjoyed watching who the most.

Before we knew it, the hot summer had come to an end and fall had quickly arrived. And before we knew it, we began seeing less and less of the hawks until one day we realized we hadn’t seen them in several weeks. We missed them, but if the experience had been a one-time experience only – that would be OK. Twice would be better, though, and so we hoped they would return one day.

They did – this past January. I looked out the bedroom window one morning and thought I saw something unusual in the Dogwood tree.

OH JOY!! The hawks were here!

They were perched in the same the same limb they had enjoyed last year. They hunted the lawn each morning and late afternoon.

They were a regular fixture in several areas of the yard, usually seen together or not far from each other. (There are two hawks in the photo below.)

They drop to the lawn from the perch (low perch in this case) about every 5 minutes, fly back to the perch with their catch, eat, and then wipe their beaks clean on the limb. The prey was small (I could never tell what it was.) In February, I’m thinking it could have been voles, moles, or shrews. In all the time I observed them for many hours, many days, weeks, and months – I never saw them try to get a bird – not at any feeders nor from the lawn. I never saw them get a squirrel, either (and we have so many squirrels!)

This was another favorite perch – an oak limb overhanging the lawn. It was considerably higher than others they enjoyed hunting from.

They were incredibly well-camouflaged – “super-skilled” at blending in.

Another of their favorite perches – mine too. (It got me busy building more Bluebird boxes for the Bluebirds who were scheduled to arrive any day!)

You can turn your back on me…..

It was in mid-February I heard the pair exchanging calls near their first nesting site. For several days they were very interested in their first nesting site – as if they would be using it again this time.

About the time I thought they were going to use the first nest, I noticed they were exchanging calls on the other side of the property in another section of woods. I walked to the edge of those woods to investigate and saw them flying to and from an oak tree across the railroad track. I “zoomed” the camera in as much as I could from where I stood. I saw the nice “V shape” of several branches in a tall oak and a nest they were building.

From February through March they were interested in both nesting sights (the first one they used and the one above they had worked on. ) Around mid-March, I was walking to the garden, and I looked towards the nest as I always do. To my surprise, I saw a hawk setting on the nest. I “zoomed” and took a few pictures from afar. I left the area because I didn’t know if my presence might disturb them. Though it hadn’t seemed to disturb them at all at any time while I was in the yard doing my usual work, I wasn’t sure what their reaction would be once she was on the nest. For that matter, I didn’t know if she had actually begun “setting” or if she might be “testing” the nest. Considering what I’d observed so far (their interest in both nests) it didn’t seem out of the question to me that she might “test” a nest before actually getting down to the “real nitty gritty. ” And she also seemed (by the photo) to be setting mighty high up in that nest compared to what I thought she might look like while setting (not just “testing”) – much deeper in the nest with not much of her body showing. At any rate (told you I was an amateur) I didn’t see her on the nest the following day and haven’t seen her on either nest since then.

From February to March they would circle above both nests and ascend so high, I would completely lose sight of the “speck” they had become (but I could still hear them.)

The first time I saw their “courtship dive-bombing”, I was shocked, amazed, totally taken – it was unlike anything I’d ever seen. I’ve seen hawks “dive bomb” and crows diving at hawks (mostly short, quick dives) but I had never been lucky enough to see the Red-shouldered Hawk in action performing this “dive bomb” in a show of courtship. I tried to capture it ….. (tried.) I’ve read that the Red-Shouldered hawk has been known – if it feels threatened or provoked by people – to “dive bomb” their heads (certainly not from the speed or height at which they courtship dive – I hope.) Regardless, a “dive bomb” upon the head by a territorial or provoked Red-shouldered Hawk could no doubt inflict painful and even serious injuries. I don’t think I have to worry about that, though – I don’t get anywhere close to their nest and they have never seemed “provoked” at my presence. (hmmm… famous last words.) I hope the beautiful pair is not gone, but I hope it’s not by a “dive bomb” to my head that I find out I was wrong – on both ends.

The picture of the nest below (lovely red square outlines it) was taken last week. It is the newer nest I saw them building in February – just from a different view from the yard.) It’s the nest she was seen setting on in March for one day.)

“Zoomed in” closer from the same location.

“Zoomed in” as close as I can get with my camera.

I should say it’s as close as I can get unless I walk through the lowlands (swamp) and get on the railroad track (for the first time since I’ve been observing the nest from afar) to observe it at a closer range.

Since I’d not heard or seen the hawks in five days (and since I was hoping I might see an encouraging sign if I got a better view of the nest) I got on the railroad track and walked very quietly towards the oak. I didn’t see any activity, I didn’t hear anything, and so I got a little closer and “zoomed in” and took a picture of it.

I don’t really know what clues to look for that might tell me if the nest is active or abandoned, but to me (as much as I don’t want to think so) it doesn’t appear to be active. I base that solely on the fact I can’t see inside of the nest and the fact I’ve not seen them flying directly to the nest. I hope I’m wrong, or if I’m not – I hope they are nesting in the first nest or another one. I can’t get to the other side of their first nest to see it from another angle. It looks like this might boil down to a waiting game.

The lovely Red-Shouldered Hawk….. wherever they might be… if by chance I don’t get to enjoy more of them this year, or if we aren’t as lucky to enjoy seeing the fledglings again this year as last year, I will always cherish the time given to us by this beautiful hawk. To feel so inspired was to be given a gift that lasts forever.