Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: First Video Proof Shot Today. Red Tailed Hawks Have At Least 2 Babies In Nest

Video: Gary Vlahakis, April 25, 2012, around 8:15 AM.  At 31 seconds, you can clearly see 2 white fluffy baby Red Tailed Hawks fussing in the nest at the feet of the adult. Best viewed in full screen.

Thanks to Gary Vlahakis for capturing the first video proof (this morning) of the baby hawks in the nest.  The video is shaky since Gary only had a monopod and knew it was important to get the footage. 

The developers of the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract will start grading and hauling operations next week.  They should have to make mitigations for working within 500' of an active raptor nest.  However they refused to share their mitigation plan with the "City Family" at a meeting in February.

For the past couple days both Gary & I had noticed the adults were spending more time on the sides of the nest at the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud.  Gary noticed the adult was shielding the babies with its wings when some light rain fell this morning.  He also noticed that the larger of the 2 chicks seems to be more aggressive than the smaller one.  

Highlights in the video shot from Corralitas Drive:
0:09 - 0:20  Adult shielding babies from light rain
0:31 Two chicks squabbling, possibly over food
0:43 - 0:51 Adult walking around edge of nest
1:07 Possibly feeding
1:52 - 2:19 Babies very active
3:45 Zoom out for location - 16 lot subdivision in background

Learn more about Red Tailed Hawks:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell's Live Hawkcam
All our hawk posts