On both counts.
Four days ago I posted this photo of an adult Red-tailed Hawk that I’d briefly seen hanging out with its mate two days before. I knew that it was one bird of a mated pair but I didn’t know if it was the male or the female. And even though I spent quite a while with this one, I saw no nesting activites (nest-building for example) from either bird. We’d had so much snow and it had been so cold I don’t believe their nesting activities had begun in earnest.
I closed that blog post four days ago with the following prediction: “Next time I’m in the area they should be nest-building and mating. Baby red-tails coming up.”
Well, yesterday was the “next time I was in the area”. What did I find?
1/4000, f/6.3m ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Exactly what I predicted.
I not only got photos of the mated hawks together, I also got them both at their nest and carrying nesting materials to their nest. The pièce de résistance came when I photographed them mating. Because I saw them mating, I now know that the dark morph on the right is the male of the pair with the female in flight on the left. Sharp eyes may have noticed that yesterday they’d been perched on the same rock that the female had been perched on six days earlier.
But… you know the drill. My photos of them at the nest, gathering nesting material and mating will have to wait at least one more day. I’m still not through reviewing and culling my hundreds of photos of them, much less processing those I’ll post.
It’ll be a while but “baby red-tails coming up”. Assuming they have a successful nesting season of course.
Ron
Can’t wait!! So excited with anticipation 😄
Kathleen, I hope I didn’t overplay it in my comment to Kaye. But I think the mating photos are pretty neat – from a different perspective than I’ve ever had on mating red-tails.
You have a good eye for romance.
Take Care,
Kaye
Ha, just wait until tomorrow, Kaye. You ain’t seen nothing yet. I’m working on those photos right now.
Looking forward to seeing the photos of the little’uns in the future!
I hope it happens, Joanne.
These pics, your sharp observations and the promise of more little hawklets in our future —along with the sun shining brightly here for first time in days — absolutely warm the cockles of my heart! 😊
Chris, I believe spring is spranging! Thanks.
Uh-oh. I sense being exposed to Red-tailed intimacy in our future. I hope the anti-sex education crowd doesn’t catch wind of it😱
Anyway, I look forward to seeing little fluffballs in the nest helping to increase the population.
Yup, such exposure coming up soon, Lyle!
Ohboyohboyohboy! So excited for this handsome couple! I was hoping one of the pair would be a dark morph too. Their kids are going to be voted “Best Looking” in their senior yearbooks.
Looking forward to some more shots from yesterday (you tease 😉). We’re getting a few days to dry out before three days of rain — and more snow in the mountains — to start the week.
Marty, tomorrow will be our third day in a row of sunshine. That hasn’t happened in a very long time.
Thank you very much for posting photos and stories of this beautiful pair of birds, Ron. I really love that dark morph male. I’m looking forward to more photos of the pair and especially the young birds – fingers crossed for successful nesting.
Bill, there seems to be quite a few dark morph genes in that area. Over the years there’s been both male and female dark morphs breeding in that area.
I’m really anticipating seeing your “captures” of a very handsome family this
spring and summer, since you know exactly where to find them !
I’m looking forward to it myself, Kris.
You know this particular pair and your guess was right on. Glad you got to see them. Excellent photos and can’t wait to see the rest when they are ready. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all > Erin go bragh. My late grandmother Katherine Sheehan was as Irish as you can be.
Thanks, Everett. No Irish blood running through my veins. I’m a Brit through and through.
What a great day that was! Can’t wait for the rest of the photos.
Thanks, Granny Pat.
Neat! Wonderful/fun to see your observations over time “pay off”….. 🙂 Knowing where/when is setting up for a great spring/summer photographing the pair/family. Beautiful shot of the ventral side of the female’s wing.
Spring IS springing accourding to a male Downey Woodpecker that is wanting to breed – female not really interested at this point. 😉
Thanks, Judy. Good to know that spring is making an appearance up there, partly because April Olson is in Great Falls now. I can tell from her FB posts that she’s seeing the sights and it would be nice if she had some decent weather for it.
Sunny & breezy this morning – probably be “mucky” in places tho main roads were clear yesterday – plows got on it Wed. and they were dry around here yesterday at lunch time. Been thinking about April and hoping weather would cooperate! 😉