Babies to Come! ©

I have had my eye on this bulky platform nest made of sticks since the end of March or the beginning of April.  

It had to be a BIG BIRD that I would eventually see in it--an eagle?  Maybe not, since it is in the middle of the desert with no water close by.



A Hawk--my first thought was a Harris Hawk but it turns out to be a Red-tailed Hawk.  The Red-tail is the most common and widespread hawk in North America, seen year-round throughout the Southwest.

You can see the Red-tail, with its four-foot wingspan, lazily circling in the air against the endless blue sky or surveying its hunting ground sitting upon a telephone pole.  Maybe you are lucky enough to see it swoop down to pounce on a bunny or mouse--a reassuring sight and proof that there are places wild enough for the hawk to exist.

Both the male (smaller) and the female of this large brown hawk have a pale streaked breast, a dark belly band, a tail that is a rusty red, and wings that are broad and rounded.  Once the Red-tails mate, the male and female stay together for life.  The mated pair return to nest in the same territory year after year.



The first time I ventured out into this raptor's territory, it was to snap a few pictures of the nest and to satisfy my curiosity--were there eggs, would there be babies?  I think I got my answer when she flew over and swept down and around me, and then from a distant tree I heard her chilling "Keeeer"!  The scream of the Red-tailed Hawk was setting the scene and making a statement.

The reddish tail of this large hawk is very noticeable in the right light, and along with its piercing scream, this bird is very identifiable!

(Copyright 2012)