Red Tailed Hawk Nest

I saw a Red Tailed Hawk fly into its nest and join its mate. It seemed that the Red Tailed Hawk had brought food to chicks in the nest. The parents were busy tending to the center of the nest. Suddenly one of the hawks flew away to get more food. The remaining hawk kept tending to its young ones. After about five minutes, this hawk flew into the sky, too.

What are the hawks going to try to find for food? Hawks are carnivores, so they will catch small rodents, birds, and reptiles to eat. If they need to, they will eat fish, crayfish, and even insects. Because they are birds of prey, they are called raptors.

About 15 years ago, I lived in a house on a steep hill. In the back yard, there was a very tall Eucalyptus tree. The back yard went down at a very steep angle. Because of this, the top of the Eucalyptus tree was even with our back patio deck. Each spring, I could look straight out and watch Red Tailed Hawks returning to their large nest at the top of the Eucalyptus tree. Before long, I was able to spot two little fuzzy white hawk chicks in the nest. The parents would leave the nest and return with food for the chicks. The chicks would grow and grow. Time would pass, and then the chicks would leave to start their own families.

The Hawks in these pictures may look small, but they can grow to be about two feet high. How tall are you? Maybe around four feet? The wing span of a Red Tailed Hawk is as wide across as you are tall!

Red Tailed Hawks are not just found out in the country. They can be found in cities, too. I often see Red Tailed Hawks sitting on top of light poles next to freeways. So keep an eye out for these magnificent birds of prey!

Thank you to Ranger Raven Longbow of the Palm Springs Indian Canyons for inspiring me to begin writing again.

And thank you to my husband, Alan, for getting a telephoto lens for me as a a birthday present!

Did you find this useful? If so, you can send a "tip" to my PAYPAL.COM account. My email address is kathomatho@yahoo.com. I will donate 10% of your tip to The Orange County Zoo.