Sunday, June 23, 2019

Watching Red Shouldered hawk family

First off been awhile and I'm thinking of starting this back up so if you happen to like this at all please leave a smiley or something as a comment to let me know and of course share it if you could.

Now for the topic, this year I had the great pleasure of having a red shouldered hawk couple choose to nest in a tree that I can see from my living room. This meant that I could watch the entire process literally everyday. 

First off, I was shocked at the size of the nest. I would think it would be big for such a big bird but it was shockingly small and easily missed if I didn't know it was there. 

Red shouldered hawk nest
The first flights in started in the middle of March. We had a few strong spring storms that had me concerned but the nest location seems perfect and nothing bothered them. One would stay on the nest while the other hunted and the hunter would scream when she/he had something and they would join up in a nearby tree.
Red shouldered hawk with a snake for lunch
By early April I could tell something had hatched by the parents behavior but had to wait till mid month to actually see the little heads. The cuteness was overwhelming.

Red shouldered hawk feeding young chicks
For days I could watch the little ones getting fed. It was easy to know when it was feeding time as mom and dad would scream as they returned with food. In some cases like the below video, they both would be at the nest with food.  

Red shoulder hawk nest with hatchlings
The fact that this nest was visible from my yard and the parents hunted in the neighborhood, I really got to watch all aspects of this process and all while still getting spring yard work done, does it get any better than that? I think not!

Red shouldered hawk chicks growing fast
Within two weeks of seeing their little heads the tree was full of leaves and they were getting their adult feathers. One more week and they looked like adult birds and were starting to venture out of the nest and onto connecting limbs.

Red shouldered hawk Looking all grown up
Young red shouldered hawk gaining that needed courage
Their parents both made continuous trips to the nest everyday to feed these quickly growing red shouldered hawk chicks. Main meals I saw where mice and snakes. I would see squirrels in their tree and close to the nest and they never bothered them nor did they bother anyone at my many bird feeders.

Red shouldered hawk leaving nest
Red shouldered hawk in flight
Soon the three red shouldered chicks where looking like they were ready to venture out in the big world. 
Young red shouldered hawks growing
Then one day I came home from work looked across the street and no one was on the big branch and I knew, it had happened. I walked over and looked up to an empty tree. I said a thank you to Mother Nature for sharing them and wished them luck wherever they were.

The next day to my shock there was a chick on the roosting branch staring at me. I was excited but a little confused. But seems they were must have been hiding in the other trees connected to their nest tree. I went over and found all three hiding in the branches of the trees. 

Red shouldered hawk chick explores the tree canopy and yells for mom
So now it's the end of May and they are exploring the trees doing short flights to branches. Sometimes learning the hard way what limbs can hold them and what ones can't. But mom and dad are right there watching and helping them along or maybe laughing at them like me but who really knows what they think but they were always there. 

Red shouldered hawk parent
Through June the chicks continue to grow and look more and more like adult hawks. The neighborhood is clean of snakes and full of the feathers of the five hawk family. The young ones are still learning the art of flying in the woods but they are a joy to watch.

Immature red shouldered hawk
Trail cam footage of an immature red shouldered hawk
I'm so glad I have been able to watch this family for all these months and I sincerely hope this is a yearly tradition.



Sunday, May 3, 2015

Great Blue Heron Community

For my entire life the Great Blue Heron has been one of my favorite birds. Growing up I would try to sneak down to our pond and see what was there and ite a draw between the Great Blues and the wood ducks on which it's hardest to get close to. It doesn't matter where I've traveled it seems the Great Blue Heron can be found and no matter how many I've seen I'm still taken pictures of them. So jump to this year and I've become even more fascinated by this bird. Back in February I was crossing a bridge and happened to look up the stream and saw these things in the trees that looked like large nests but there were a lot of them. Strange I though but figured it wasn't nests because what build nest together like that. Figured it was some weird tree growth or something.
First sighting in February Of course my curiosity was up after the first sighting so on all my wildlife outing I would have make sure to go across this bridge and check out the 'nests' still thinking these are nests. So imagine my shock when in mid March I looked and each of those spots I thought might be nests now had a pair of Great Blue Herons on them. I would have NEVER thought Great Blue Herons as I have rarely seen more than two together at any point in my years of watching these feather friends.
First sighting of the herons on the nests
Well now I'm obsessed! I counted 19 nests but think there might be more. Since then there obviously have been herons everywhere looking for food.

I've seen a few trip to the home improvement store.

I've walked back to the nests twice now but I don't stay long at all because I don't want to disturb them too much. They really freak as they should.

The eggs have hatched and the chicks are moving around but not out of the nest yet. I'm not sure I'll go back there once they get that big as I don't want to scare them plus you can't see all that great with the leaves going in so it will only get worse as summer quickly approaches.


Be sure to see more photos at http://flyingturkey.smugmug.com and Find me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FlyingTurkeyPhotography

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Been awhile.....

Thinking about bringing this blog back to life but debating if it's too much with everything else I've started recently. If you find this you can check out my photos at the following places but be looking for some blog entries soon. https://www.facebook.com/FlyingTurkeyPhotography Photo site: http://flyingturkey.smugmug.com/ Prints available at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/marjorie-lehman.html but here are some categories. sandhill photos
sandhill art
fox photos
turkey photos
lighthouse photos
maine photos
nubble photos
goat island photos
bobwhite photos
quail photos
otter photos
kentucky photos
crane photos
bird photos
sandhill crane photos
birds photographs for sale
kentucky prints for sale
nature photographs for sale
bird prints for sale
cranes photographs for sale
sandhill prints for sale
duck photographs for sale
pemiquid photographs for sale
maine prints for sale

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Bluebirds are back early

It's now April in Kentucky but I was surprised that my bluebirds were back and picking the house again in mid March. The weather is not normal for March so I thought they wouldn't start laying eggs so early. I meant to start blogging from the beginning but didn't get around to get but I will try to do better. So let me catch you up though the photos I've been taking.



First house they started to build in. They always start in two houses, so forget what you read about only one bluebird house per acre or whatever, these teo house are literally 20 feet apart and until I had two for them to choose from they would always start in one and leave. Ever since I'be had the the two houses close to each other I've had babies.



This is the house they choose which they have used for three years now, this photo was taken March 18th.


March 22nd, we had two eggs. I missed the first one. I honestly thought it was too early in the year to be laying eggs.



March 23rd three eggs



March 24th four eggs



March 25th five eggs



March 26th six eggs



March 28th still six eggs moved around



April 7th still six eggs



April 8th two hatched

Ok that brings everyone up to date on this one nest. Look for more updates as they hatch and grow. Let me know if you enjoy.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Snowy friends





Been a little while since I've posted any thing so decided to share a few pictures from about 10 minutes at my feeders. It had snowed the day before and will snow really brings my feathered friends in. Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Disastrous Spring

So I give up! Once again the raccoons have raided a birdhouse, this time taking out the new bluebird nest and taking the four eggs!

I'm a nature lover and actually been tolerant of raccoons but this year they have turned destructive! They have raided my bird food buckets which are in a deck box. They have got into cabinets! They have broke bungie cords! They have killed over 15 babies! And today they broke a feeder line and carried off the feeder to parts unknown!

I've bought extension poles, feeders on metal wire, moved houses and feeders and this year nothing seems to stop them. I've been at this house for over 10 years and NEVER had this much damage in basically one month. ARGH!!!!

I love my birds but not sure what to do about these raccoons!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Let's try this again!


So my awesome bluebird couple is over the disappointment of the raccoon attack and have taken up residence in one of the other houses on my property. I wasn't sure they were going to stay as I watch the nest building but today we have eggs, 3 so far.

A few days ago they started the build but then disappeared. Not sure if the constant rain on those days made a difference or not. However, Thursday I noticed the nest was completed but still no sign of the couple. Well, yesterday I saw the male on a wire above the new house and today I saw them together by the house.

I took a picture and BAM we've got eggs. I'm actually glad they picked this house because my thin cell phone slides in a gap in the top so I don't have to disturb them too much to track progress.