Hawks Fledging; Hummers Humming

This has been the week for birds! Every morning I am awakened with a symphony of bird song. The phoebes, nesting beneath my study window, spend their days hunting insects on the wing. And at the beginning of the week I was buzzed by a Ruby-throated hummingbird. It was a male, so bright he shimmered like a jewel. After buzzing my hat he perched on a fence post and eyed me. Determining my lack of nutritional value, he zipped over to the onions in flower (left in garden from fall) - I wonder what onion nectar tastes like?

Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great collection of sounds. Here's some of the hummingbird sounds you can listen to: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ruby-throated_hummingbird/sounds

Meanwhile, the baby hawks have quickly grown into that gawky teenage stage where they're ready to go to the mall but not sure they want to sit in the driver's pilot's seat. This week looks like "fledge" week up at Cornell... on Monday one hawklet spent the afternoon standing on the edge of the ledge testing his wings. Like kids everywhere, when mom comes home from her errands, they try to snuggle under her wings! It's a tight fit, as you can see from this video:



By Wednesday two of the young hawks had tried out their wings. Today might be the day hawk chick #3 heads out for a test flight. What's going on in the lives of the birds outside your window?
Check out other STEM Friday posts here. 

Happy Earth Day Birth Day for Red Tailed Hawks

The Red-tailed hawk pair have three eggs - today two have hatched (as of 2:15 pm) and tried to nibble snake for lunch. You can watch on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM7IEjgmkTo

click on the nest cam button over to the right and you can check in on the nestlings as they grow - and maybe catch #3 hatching.

The Hawks are back - with a nest full of eggs

Folks who watched Big Red and Ezra raise chicks last year will be thrilled to know they are back and, as of March 20, have three eggs in the nest.
You can catch up on the news - and videos - here:
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/16/Red-tailed_Hawks/?pid=2422&ac=ac
And if you ever forget how to find them, just click on the nest-cam icon over to the right.

Checking in with the Red Tails

Last month Big Red and Ezra visited their nest to rearrange sticks and, maybe, get it ready for use this spring. The red-tailed hawk pair built a nest up above one of Cornell University's athletic fields, and the bird-cam allows us an up-close-and-personal view into their private lives. Mid-winter visits give the pair a chance to check out the nest and determine whether it's in good enough shape to use for another year.

Red tailed hawk pairs share the work of nest-building or, in this case, refurbishing. They might add new sticks until the next reaches 6 feet high and 3 feet across. Watch for them bringing bark strips, fresh foliage and dry vegetation to line the inner cup.

It's not to early to start keeping an eye on things. Last year Big Red laid her first egg on March 15. So drop by this week and click on the bird-cam button over there on the right and check out the action - or lack of action - over at Big Red's place.

Remember to turn off the computer and head outside to see what birds in your neighborhood are doing. This post is part of STEM Friday. Check out more science, technology, engineering and math resources here.

Checking in on the Hawk Chicks

They are chicks no more. After a month of pigeon take-out and chipmunk meals they’ve grown nearly as big as their parents. They’re jumping up and down, stretching their wings, and wandering to the edge of the nest platform as if checking out potential flight plans. These guys look restless and ready to go. Drop by the nest cam and check out the adolescent “I can’t wait to get out of here” hawks.

Red-tailed Hawk mama feeds chick

After a morning of snow and rain, the Red-tailed hawk mama fed her first chick. Thanks to Cornell for posting this awesome video.

Earth Day Birthday?

Update 04/23 @ 8 pm: First chick's baby photo snapped at around 3 this afternoon - see here.
One still pipping; one still in the egg. This is better than telly.

Update 04/23 @ 9 am: late yesterday we could see inside one of the eggs where a chick had chipped away a section. Haven't seen any chicks all the way out yet, but right now it's cold and windy and mama hawk is providing a down comforter. 

About quarter after noon (EST) nest-watchers noticed a beak poking out of one of the Red-tailed hawk eggs. Could we have an Earth Day Birthday? Nest-watchers are hoping so....

Watch live streaming video from cornellhawks at livestream.com

Peek into a Red Tail Hawk Nest

If you've ever wondered what goes on in a hawk nest, now's your chance to find out. Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted a live video feed from one of their nest cameras and you can watch a red-tailed hawk nest 24/7 if you want. Find it here [if that doesn't work, paste this link into your browser:http://www.allaboutbirds.org/page.aspx?pid=2422&ac=ac ]

Apparently you can also watch the hawk nest from mobile devices such as smart phones and iPads. And CLO says they'll have a "full-featured BirdCams site" launching in late April with more species including Osprey, Black Vulture and Great Horned Owl. How cool is that! For more information, or if you have questions, contact Cornell Lab of O at <cornellbirds@cornell.edu>

As soon as I can, I'll post a button on the side so you can check in throughout the spring. And come back Friday for more bird-talk on STEM Friday.