Red Car Property: Red Tailed Hawk Failed Hunting Forays* Updated

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 22, 11:13 AM.  I think this was a young Red Tail we encountered on the Red Car Property, just south of the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  The photos below are in sequence, shot today.

Photo: Diane Edwardson.  I saw what I first thought was an escaped chicken on the slope below Lake View.  I had enough time to fish my camera out out of my pocket and grab a shot.  Meanwhile, a car heading to an event at Rose Scharlin, stopped for quite some time to look at the bird too.  It finally took flight, flashing its red tail, to the nearest California Black Walnut Tree. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson.  It was definitely not a chicken, but a very large Red Tailed Hawk.  By now, a second car had pulled up and was watching the bird in the tree.  I had time to shoot quite a few photos.  I was concerned the bird was injured, because you usually don't see adult Red Tails spend more than a few seconds on the ground.  This one had been there for minutes, taking off empty handed.

Photo: Diane Edwardson.  You also don't usually see the Red Tails hanging out in the Black Walnut Trees. I'm willing to speculate the branches are to dense.  These are big birds who tend to make steep dives with the sun at their backs when hunting.  This is NOT typical neighborhood Red Tail behavior that I've witnessed before.

Photo: Diane Edwardson. Suddenly, something caught its eye in the succulents on the steep slope behind the Black Walnut tree.  It clumsily flew through the branches and flapped about grabbing onto the succulents for several seconds, just hanging there.  Then it clumsily took off, flapping low over my head. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson. The hawk disappeared through the dense trees of this Riverside Place backyard.  Again, not typical for the Red Tails to fly through the dense trees.  That's Cooper's Hawk and Red Shouldered Hawk behavior.  Red Tails are soaring birds who need more room for their large wings. 

 

Since I was not completely convinced the hawk wasn't injured, I went down the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase to Riverside Place where I saw the hawk flying low over Riverside Terrace.  It appeared to be flying more normally.  I think it was just a young and inexperienced hunter.  Red Tails can hang out with their parents for a good year learning how to hunt.  It's only been 6 months since they left the nest. 

 

It was a pretty cool wildlife encounter though.

 

*December 24, 2012: The neighbor at the last house on Corralitas, before the Red Car Property, just told me of a similar recent encounter with what is likely the same hawk.  His young children alerted him that a hawk was walking around on the ground on the Red Car Property. 

 

The neighbor thought the hawk might be injured so he had his kids get into his truck to watch while he investigated.  The hawk wasn't even phased by the neighbor walking up nearby.  It seemed to have a rat or other prey it was eating on the ground.  It eventually took off and flew really low over the neighbor's truck, into the very dense Brazilian Pepper Trees on the 2 Freeway next to Corralitas.  His kids said it had something with a long tail in its talons as it flew over the truck. 

 

The neighbor said it was the same thing I did, that it was so weird because the Red Tails usually only spend a few seconds on the ground and hang out near the tops of trees and telephone poles.  This one has not been following typical Red Tail behavior patterns.  This young Red Tail needs some parental guidance for sure.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: First Red Tail Hawk Fledgling Flew The Coop

Video: Gary Vlahakis, June 4, 2012.  A day after a perilous journey from the nest, the largest of the 4 Red Tailed Hawk babies (also known as eyases) took off.  (Best viewed in full screen HD, Blogger resets the video on this page to lowest resolution.)

Gary's been combing through hours of footage and watching through binoculars, to see if the hawk came back to the nest.  So far we've not seen it.  Nor have we seen it in the surrounding tree branches.  This morning, the remaining 3 babies were still in the nest, although the second one is "branching," hopping around on the adjacent branches, flapping its wings, gaining strength to fly. 

Red Tails will hang around the nest for months, being fed and learning to hunt, once they learn to fly.  Last year they put on quite a show through July.  It will be interesting to see if all 4 babies make it.

If you find a hawk on the ground, it may not be injured.  If it is not in the roadway, leave it it on the ground and observe it until you can verify whether it is actually injured.  We had to rescue a fledgling in 2005; his leg was broken.  If the hawk makes it to a nearby branch, the parents will be keeping an eye on it and will continue to care for it.

If a hawk is injured contact LA Animal Services who will likely refer you to the Ojai Raptor Center (805) 667-4727.  The Ojai Raptor Center rehabbed & released the hawk we rescued in 2005.  An expert will guide you through what needs to be done.  The Audubon Center at Debs Park is another resource for information.

For an even better view of nest activity, check out the live Cornell University Red Tail Hawk Cam. Their 3 Red Tails Hawks are fledging too.

Click here for all our Red Tailed Hawk nest videos.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Red Tail Hawk Babies Confirmed

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, May 3, 2013.  The first photo confirms there are at least 2, maybe 3 white fluffy heads in the Red Tailed Hawk nest, high above the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud, on the northbound 2 Freeway parkway. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, May 3, 2013.  There might even be 4 chicks in the nest.  This is the same nest we've documented for the past few years.  We have some very prolific Red Tailed Hawks.  No wonder the squirrels in my yard have been so quiet for the past week.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, May 3, 2013.  By afternoon, the light shifted, and Gary caught a shot with an adult in the nest with at least 2 chicks.   We'll be on Hawkwatch for a few months. 

Click here for all of last year's Red Tailed Hawk nest videos. 

Get a better look inside a Red Tailed Hawk nest: Cornell University LIVE Red Tailed Hawk Nest Cam

Red Tail Hawk Update

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 14, 2005

Brenda with the Ojai Raptor Center reports, after an examination by a veterinarian, the hawk we rescued was shot through the wing with either a small caliber bullet or bb-gun, a week or more before he crash landed on Corralitas. The wing was broken and infected, plus the hawk was severely dehydrated and thin.

After several days of treating the infection, they anesthetized the hawk to further assess the broken wing. Since it had been so long since the bird was shot, the bone was dried out and inoperable. Since the wild hawk was in such poor condition, and would not be releasable with an amputated wing, the veterinarian decided to euthanize the bird. If we had been able to rescue the bird a week earlier, it may have made a difference.

Our 2005 hawk rescue was much more successful. A not-fully-fledged hawk fell 80’ to the street below from his nest atop a eucalyptus tree, next to the log cabins. His leg was broken. I called the Wildlife Officer at North Central Animal Shelter, who referred me to Brenda with Ojai Raptor Center. Neighbors blocked off the street & sidewalk with “caution” tape and barricades, while we awaited Animal Control. The officer had to climb 15-20’ up the steep slope to reach the hawk who was attempting to get back to his tree. Throughout this drama, the hawk’s parents kept a threatening eye on us, while screeching the whole time. They were not pleased, but they would not have been able to get the baby back into the nest. The baby would likely have fallen prey to a coyote if we left it on the ground.

Photo: Edwardson, 2005. Angry red tail parent.

The hawk was transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center where they repaired his broken leg. During fledging season, the Raptor Center is overwhelmed with rescues. They even have an unreleasable surrogate mother hawk who helps feed the babies. Our hawk was later released in an area where there are a lot of red tails he could learn from.

The sibling of the one we rescued used to hang out on the decks of the log cabins. He frequented my neighbor who took some great photos of him. I once saw one of the hawk’s parents bring him a rat. The parent sat in the tree with the rat screeching until he flew the 20 feet from my deck to the tree. He seemed to prefer my deck to tree for a dining perch. His parent would have nothing of it, insisting he use the tree.

Why should we care about the hawks?

They are a vital link in the hillside food web. They help keep rats and gophers under control. So don’t use rat poison. The poison doesn’t immediately kill the rat, so the rat acts erratically once the poison begins to take effect. The rat falls easy prey to predators, like hawks and pet cats, which are then poisoned and die from eating the rat.

Red Tail Hawks and other raptors like to hunt on the big open spaces like the Red Car Property and the Semi-Tropic Spiritualists’ Tract. Many mornings you can see hawks sitting atop the telephone poles, then swooping down to catch some vermin. The steep topography of the Red Car and Semi-Tropic neighborhoods combined with the heat island of the adjacent freeways create ideal updrafts on which the hawks like to soar. It’s like Wild Kingdom in your own backyard, 5 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles.

Donate to Ojai Raptor Center: http://www.ojairaptorcenter.org/
More info on living with wildlife: http://www.laanimalservices.com/Wildlife.htm

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Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: More Red Tailed Hawk Nest Photos From Monday*

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, March 5, 2012, 10:47 AM.  The female Red Tail Hawk has been spending a lot of time reinforcing the edges of the nest.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)   

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, March 5, 2012, 10:48 AM.  Red Tailed Hawk nests can be over 6' high and 3' wide.  Photos shot from Corralitas Drive.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, March 5, 2012, 10:48 AM. She seems to be testing the edges for strength.

*March 6, 2012, 1:45 PM UPDATE: The female seems especially concerned with the edge of the nest she's standing on in the above photos.  For the past few days, she's been really working on that side of the nest.  Around 7:30 AM today, through binoculars I watched as she was working on the same section, then the male joined her in the nest.  They seemed to communicate something to each other, as if she was showing him what needed to be done.  They both fussed at the same section for a bit.  She flew over to another tree between the north & southbound lanes of the 2 Freeway.  He continued working on the same section of the nest.  Then a few minutes later joined her in the other tree. 

We're following the Red Tailed Hawk nest at the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud, 100' from the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. More tomorrow.

 

Corralitas Drive: Young Hungry Hawk

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, July 1, 2017.  Corralitas Drive neighbors report hearing hawks calling for hours outside their homes.  This telephone pole near the top of Corralitas Drive is a regular perch for Red Tails in the neighborhood.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Last Saturday and again today, starting at dawn and continuing for hours, a recently fledged Red Tail Hawk was calling to be fed.  This is a particularly large youngster.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, July 1, 2017.  Even young hawks are aware of  people watching them.
 
We suspect the Red Tails have a nest in a tall pine tree on Corralitas Drive.  About a month ago, one neighbor reported seeing a large adult Red Tail pluck a squirrel out of a palm tree, then fly less than 100' to another neighbor's pine tree, landing in an opening of the branches near the top of the tree.  It appeared to be doing something in the tree with the squirrel as if it were feeding chicks.  It was too far for photos with a cell phone.  We usually see Red Tails eat meals atop telephone poles around the neighborhood.

The neighbor with the pine tree reported hawks frequently circling and calling in and around the tree and house this year.  This is typical nesting behavior in our neighborhood (we've watched the Red Tails in the nest on the 2 Freeway for years).  Since they nest high in the trees, neighbors are not always aware of the nest.  We've seen Red Tail juveniles return to the nest in the evenings months after they've fledged.

Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase: Red-Shouldered Hawk Expanding Territiory?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 8, 2015, 8:50 AM.  I'd never seen an adult Red-Shouldered Hawk this far south in the neighborhood:  on the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase, between the Red Car Property and Lake View Ave.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Once again, songbirds alerted me to a nearby hawk.  They were giving a funky alarmed call that I did not recognize, as I walked up the public staircase from the Red Car Property.  (Perhaps they have different alarm calls for different hawks, it was not their Red Tailed Hawk alarm call.) 

So I stopped, searching through the trees, not immediately realizing the Red-Shouldered Hawk was directly above me.  Luckily, I caught a few frames before it flew south through some very dense trees in backyards on the Lake View Ave side of the Red Car Property.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 8, 2015.  The red arrow points to where the hawk was perched in the tree.  (Photo was taken after it took off.)  It was scanning the dense brush beneath the power lines for prey.  

When it took off, it was calling, as if it were searching for its fledged youngsters from this spring.  It continued calling when it landed in a palm tree further south on Lake View and again, as it flew even further south into the forested steep slope between Lake View and Silver Ridge.  There I lost sight of the forest dwelling bird.  We've seen similar calling from the Red Tail Hawk parents when they call to their youngsters, which they feed for up to a year.   

It shouldn't be too surprising to see Red-Shouldered Hawks this far south off the Red Car Property, since the north end of the Red Car Property is no longer densely forested because so many big Eucalyptus trees died and were removed in the past 2 years.  

The north end of the property near Adelbert seemed to be Red-Shouldered Hawk territory.  The slot between India and Roselin, as well as Red Car Canyon, Lake View and the top of Silver Ridge belonged to Cooper's Hawks.  While the south end and the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract was claimed by the big Red Tailed Hawks who nest on the 2 Freeway at Rosebud Ave.  

This year, there's not been a clear pattern of raptor sightings as in years past.  Between drought and habitat destruction of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract, the balance of power in the raptor world may be all screwed up in our neighborhood. 

Learn more about Red-Shouldered Hawks: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Corralitas Drive: Hawks Are Watching Me Too

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 17, 2012, 4:49 PM.  The Red Tailed Hawks know we're watching them.  This one was atop a one of the favored perches, a big pine tree at 2600 Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

Saturday and almost daily at 8:30 AM, one of the hawks was in the nest at Allesandro & Rosebud.  A minute later, it flew toward the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  I can't get a good shot through the trees, but I think the hawk wakes up when the sun hits the nest at 8:30 AM.   

A few minutes later, I watched the big Red Tailed Hawk fly into another tree in the 2 Freeway parkway.  The hawk stepped sideways on the branch and hid itself in the shade of the tree trunk, with the sun behind it. Our tree were blocking a good view, so I stepped just outside my door with binoculars.  (At the same time I heard and watched a Kestrel calling and flying up into the tree right by the house.) 

The Red Tail was watching the hillside below me for prey.  I've watched them hunt with the sun at their back so the prey is blinded by the bright sun early and late in the day.  Other neighbors have noticed similar hunting behavior.

The Red Tail was also watching me.  When I panned slightly to the right, toward the nest, the hawk followed the direction of my binoculars, and looked over its shoulder then right back at me as if to say, "Yeah, I'm watching you too."  I was partially obscured by the trees and bushes, so it was an impressive display of just how sharp their eyesight is.    

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 17, 2012, 4:52 PM.  A second Red Tailed Hawk flew out of the top of the pine tree.  There is no nest in this tree, they just like to hang out atop the two tall pine trees on either side of Red Car Canyon.  

We'll be devoting more coverage than usual to the nesting pair of Red Tailed Hawks. Last Wednesday, the developers of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract told me they would like to find a way to exclude the hawks from the nest, (so they don't have to change their construction schedule/plans for the controversial 16-lot development right across the street in the Semi Tropic Spiritualitsts' Tract.)  Raptors nests can require a 500' buffer during construction.

Last year, I was impressed by large number of rats, gophers and squirrels this pair of hawks fed their growing young - I saw at least 2 or 3 each day.  They perform vital vermin control in our neighborhood. I  speak for many neighbors who do not want the hawks excluded from the nest. 

Red Car Property: Hawkwatch

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 28, 2012, 9:44 AM.  I heard what sounded like a hawk atop the huge California Black Walnut near the Adelbert cut-through.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Straining to see in the the bright light and zooming in on the bird, it appears it was a Mockingbird doing hawk calls.  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 28, 9:46 AM.  A few minutes later, taken in by the Mockingbird, a rather anemic-looking hawk landed in a nearby Eucalyptus on the Red Car Property. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 28, 2012, 9:47 AM.  I think it's a thin Red Tailed Hawk, but this was the best shot I could get.  It was definitely not one of the nesting pair from Rosebud & Allesandro.  They are very healthy looking hawks.  This one posed for photos and flew to the top of a pine tree on the DWP property between Fletcher & Waverly. 

More Hawkwatch Notes:

Later the same morning, March 28, 2012, I watched 3 big healthy Red Tails circling the south end of the Red Car Property, riding updrafts, calling and clearly playing with one another.  One dove at another on the telephone pole to start the chase.  (It seems one of last year's babies is still hanging around with the nesting pair.  The pair never seem to chase the third hawk off, so it's a good guess it's one of their young.)  One hawk broke off from the play, pulled in its wings and dove at high speed, landing on the nest at Allesandro & Rosebud.  It was impressive. 

The recent cold weather has kept one of the hawks in the nest most of the time.  They are likely incubating eggs.  Watch the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Red Tail Hawk Cam to learn more about nesting behavior. 

March 29, 2012: A friend pointed out a Cooper's Hawk that landed briefly, high up in a tree, in my backyard. Definitely not one of the Red Tails: it had a long thin neck, small head and beak, long tail.   Of course, there's rarely a camera handy when I see an elusive Cooper's Hawk.  

Red Car Property: Elusive Hawks

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 28, 2009. Hawk on Red Car Property near Adelbert.

There have been many reports of hawks in the neighborhood this summer, and not just the usual Red Tail Hawk sightings. Neighbors have been frustrated in their efforts to get good photos of this year's hawks. (Thus, the poor quality photos we're posting here will have to suffice for now.)

On several occasions a young Red Shouldered Hawk has been seen circling above the Viaduct Footings and flying between the trees on the Adelbert end of the Red Car Property. If you have home on Lake View above Adelbert, there may be a nest in the trees up there.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 30, 2009. Small hawk on Red Car Property at Rose Scharlin Preschool.

Since the end of May, several neighbors reported seeing a hawk slowly flying as low as 6 feet above the ground between India and Red Car Canyon, just south of Rose Scharlin Preschool. Unfortunately, the above photo is the only one we've gotten so far.

It looks like a gigantic Kestrel. Yet it's still a smaller hawk with golden feathers on it's chest; blue gray feathers on its back; large vertical black stripes on its tail and very long legs. It may be a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp Shinned Hawk. Both are bird-eating raptors who like wooded areas. According to a neighbor who is also a LA Zookeeper, Cooper's Hawks are known to hang out in the canyon area. There are lots of Mourning Doves (prey) in Red Car Canyon.

Two neighbors report seeing the hawk literally fly past their heads (in several different incidents) at the top of the Corralitas Public Staircase. It's also been seen flying between the trees in the canyon area between Silver Ridge and Corralitas. The mockingbirds often chase it between the trees.

On August 3rd, a Riverside Place neighbor wrote, "I keep seeing your bird (I think) it's a smaller sized bird of prey. Very pretty, it's very elusive though. I run in for the camera and it's gone. Saturday I saw it take a dove and was sitting on a power line with it only about 20' away in full view!"

UPDATE: Will Campbell has a fantastic photo of a Cooper's Hawk, with prey, on his blog from just a few weeks ago shot in his Silver Lake neighborhood south of Sunset.

If you have neighborhood hawk or wildlife photos, send them to us: redcarproperty@gmail.com. Do not attempt to feed or touch wildlife.

Corralitas Drive: Not Typical Red Tailed Hawk Hunting Technique

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 23, 2013.  Several neighbors & I have witnessed a Red Tailed Hawk walking around on the ground a lot lately.  This seems to be its hunting technique: rooting around the dry grass like a chicken.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

When I shot these photos, near the Corralitas Public Staircase, I was so far away, I thought it was one of the newly fledged hawks (just left the nest). 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 23, 2013.  However, upon editing, it looks more like an adult hawk, possibly one from last year's brood. (One hawk from last year's batch seemed quite content to hang out in the lower branches of trees.  It would fly down to the ground & walk around.)  

 

On this occasion, the hawk would call to be fed (which is why I thought it was one of the babies) then swoop down to the ground, walk around, looking around, then fly back up to the tree & repeat the whole sequence.  I've never seen this behavior in the wild. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 23, 2013.  I've spent 23 years watching hawks hunt in the neighborhood.  Most of the Red Tails will sight their prey from a high perch & swoop down, catching it by surprise.  If successful, the hawk might spend a few moments on the ground to get control of the prey, before retreating to a high perch to catch their breath before dining.  If unsuccessful, the hawk usually, immediately, takes right off again.  Spending time on the ground makes them vulnerable to predators, like coyotes.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 23, 2013.  This Red Tailed Hawk likes to spend a lot of time walking around on the ground, looking around as if it were stalking prey on the ground, mostly on the steep slopes.  (Perhaps its nearsighted.)  In reviewing multiple photos (not all published here), this hawk is definitely looking around confidently, as if it does this all the time.

Regular readers may remember, earlier this year we had a few posts about a Red Tailed Hawk walking around on the ground & flying through heavily branched trees, like native California Black Walnuts.  It may be the same hawk.  This hawk has been hanging around with this year's newly fledged Red Tails. 

In the past 2 weeks, several neighbors report seeing more than one hawk on the ground together.  The chicks are learning this hunting technique from the hawk.  I don't think this is one of the parent hawks as I've seen what appears to be 3 adult birds in addition to the 2 freshly fledged birds hanging around together early mornings on the Red Car Property.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 23, 2013.  It revealed its tail (not a fledgling - that's an adult tail - I believe) just before it took off toward the nest at Allesandro & Rosebud.  When I turned, I noticed one of the adult Red Tails was high above me in a nearby Eucalyptus keeping an eye on the proceedings.  There always seems to be an adult around the youngsters.  If this is one of last year's babies, it's good see the parents are still keeping an eye on their slow learner.  It's definitely not starving, despite its odd hunting technique.  Perhaps the parents are supplementing its diet. 

 

Just because a hawk is on the ground does not mean it is injured.  Stop & observe for a while. It may surprise you. If it is injured, contact a certified raptor rescuer, like the Ojai Raptor Center before you attempt a rescue.

Corralitas Drive: Ruthless Red Tails

Photo: Tracey Glynn, April 10, 2014.  Glynn caught sight of a Red Tail Hawk having breakfast right outside her window, so she ran for her camera.  Glynn reports one of the "BIG" Red Tailed Hawks was dining on a whole nest of baby birds while the parent birds dive bombed the hawk to no avail.  Great shot!

Other Red Tail NEWS: Eggs have hatched!  Gary's been watching the nest.  He sent an email today.  He's not been able to get a clear shot yet, but there's definitely at least one white fluffy head bopping strongly around the center of the nest,  "doing a lot of moving around and VERY difficult to focus on in that spot, will attempt to catch it on the other side of that branch later."  Considering how large the nest is, it's pretty amazing we get to see chicks when they're small and fluffy.  

See all the Red Tailed Hawk videos from 2012

Corralitas Drive: Red Tailed Hawk Hunting Squirrels In My Backyard

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 6, 2012, 9:28 AM.  A neighbor and I were in my backyard watching the dogs play, when a big Red Tailed Hawk almost caught a squirrel just 20 feet above our heads in a Eucalyptus tree.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

 

For the past couple days, we noticed multiple Red Tails soaring around low and slow over the backyards on our side of the hill.  There has also been lots of calling and apparent play from the hawks.  There's also a nest of squirrels in one of our big palm trees.  The young squirrels just ventured from the nest last week. 

 

It was awesome to see a big Red Tail glide slowly through the trees and almost catch a big adult squirrel.  I think it might be a young Red Tail because it was a little hesitant coming in for the kill.  The adults usually just go for it.  But this one sat on the branch a moment before it returned to the big pine tree, two houses away.



Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 6, 2012.  A minute later the hawk came back for another try. When it failed again, it just sat on the branch staring down the squirrel on the the other side of the large tree trunk. The squirrel was chattering at the hawk and flipping its tail, trying to distract the predator. 

 

By now, the dogs, focused on the activity above, were running around the base of the tree hoping the squirrel would run in their direction.  Hawks are smart predators; it would look at the squirrel and down at the dogs trying to get the squirrel focused on the dogs so the hawk could make a move. 

 

This went on long enough that I was able to run inside to grab a camera and snap a few frames. 

 

The hawk hopped around the rather dense branches, inching closer to the squirrel.  Unfortunately, the squirrel took a huge leap between trees and got away.  (I have no love of squirrels, this year they poached most of the peaches, plums and heirloom tomatoes - often in broad daylight!) 

 

A friend once remarked, "For a neighborhood where you're right on top of the freeways, you sure have a lot of wildlife encounters."  And we appreciate it! 

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Red Tail Hawk Babies Not So Willing To Leave The Nest

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 11, 2012, 11:00 AM.  Monday, Red Tail Baby #3 was in and out of the nest all day.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

I didn't realize we were looking at 2 babies until I enlarged the photos.  We thought we were down to the last chick on Monday.  The adult female kept returning to the nest as if she was not confident in their readiness to leave the nest.  Whenever she was in the nest, the babies were calmer and settled down into the nest.  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 11, 2012, 11:01 AM.  This photo you can see #4 in the nest a bit more clearly. 

Tuesday, June 12, # 4 was alone in the nest.  While the grading crew on the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract was on lunch break, the machinery was quiet and #4 was calling constantly.  From at least 2 other trees - on the Corralitas side of the 2 Freeway, I could hear 2 other hawks calling back. 

Since we've not seen any of the hawks much since the babies started flying, I walked down the street to see if I could find them with binoculars.  Within minutes, the adult female returned to the nest and stared at me.  I was standing at the top of the Corralitas public staircase.  I don't know where she had been.  A few minutes later the bulldozers started work again and drowned out the hawks' calls.



Allesandro & Rosebud: Red Tail Hawk Nest

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, April 9, 2011, 11:44AM. Corra, the Red Tail Hawk, was watching Gary too. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 9, 2011, 11:08 AM. The hawks built their nest in the crook of a Eucalyptus tree on the 2 Freeway, just across the street from the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract at Rosebud and Allesandro. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Hawks Active

Photo: Diane Edwardson, March 3, 2011. Red Tail Hawk in one of its favorite perches near 2600 Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Neighbors are reporting considerable hawk activity this year. One pair, including Corra, the Red Tailed Hawk, have been collecting nesting material on Corralitas and flying in the direction of the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. Look for Red Tail Hawk nests in the treetops. Urban hawks are not afraid to nest close to houses, as they did on Corralitas Drive in 2005.

Red Car Property: Back To Our Red Tailed Hawk Coverage

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 11, 2013.  One of the 2 Red Tailed Hawk babies has been seen walking around on the ground, like one of the adults we wrote about recently.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

This one is the larger of the 2 chicks from this year's brood.  Before flying into the tree, it was rooting around the slope on the southernmost end of the Red Car Property.   Seen here, it was watching squirrels in the California Black Walnut Trees.   

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 11, 2013.  Since July 4, the 2 Red Tail Hawk babies have been calling constantly to be fed, spending a lot of time on Corralitas Drive, the southern end of the Red Car Property & near the nest on the 2 Freeway at Rosebud & Allesandro.  The usual hawk-watchers in the hood have not seen the adults much at all since the 4th.

Yesterday, this youngster landed in one of our rubber trees, eyeing up the dog's wading pool, while watching squirrels in the nearby Eucalyptus tree.  It took off before I could get a photo.

Several Red Tails have been seen in & around backyard fountains on both sides of Red Car Canyon (photo above) on Corralitas & Lake View.  Keep those cameras handy! 

Send us your Red Car Property neighborhood wildlife encounter photos (.jpgs only please) with a brief description of when, where, and what the animal was doing when you encountered it: redcarproperty@gmail.com

DO NOT attempt to feed, touch or pet wildlife. 

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Red Tail Hawk Feeding Possibly 3 Chicks

Video: Gary Vlahakis, April 27, 2012.  We're cautiously optimistic there are now 3 babies in the nest.  Best viewed in full screen option.

Thanks to Gary for getting much better video of one of the adults feeding the baby Red Tailed Hawks this morning. He stabilized the tripod, but is still limited by the home video camera.   We both think we've seen 3 little fluffy white babies in the nest. 

We've had a few neighborhood professional photographers and filmmakers offer to shoot a few frames, so hopefully we'll have higher quality images soon. 

We're following the Red Tailed Hawk nest at the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud, 100' from the controversial 16-lot subdivision in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. 

Send us your Red Car Neighborhood wildlife photos with details on date, time, location, behavior etc: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Corralitas Drive: How This Scenic Vista Led Me To Find The Red Tail Hawk's Nest On Allesandro & Rosebud

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 8, 2011, 7:13 PM. Last night while shooting the spectacular clouds, I heard two hawks screaming at each other, just below the log cabins on Corralitas Drive. (Click on photos to enlarge.) Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 8, 2011, 7:17 PM. Two Red Tail Hawks were squabbling over prey atop a telephone pole. Corra, the larger of the two, won. Corra's partner flew across the 2 Freeway, to a tree on Allesandro & Rosebud. It was too dark to get a decent shot, but with binoculars, we could see a large bird moving around in the nest. Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 9, 2011. This is the view from the base of the previous photo's telephone pole, looking toward the nest at the corner of Allesandro & Rosebud. The tree is across Allesandro from the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract lots, destined for development. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Venturing From The Nest Is Risky!

Video: Gary Vlahakis, June 3, 2012.  The largest of the Red Tailed Hawk babies ventures out of the nest, quite a ways up a branch, flapping its wings, hopping around, trying to fly.  The nest is about 80' from the street below.   Things get very dramatic around 5:45 minutes: the chick attempts to fly back to the nest, misses and hangs upside down from the edge of the nest, while the other 3 chicks freak out.  Worth watching to the end.  (Best viewed in full screen HD, Blogger automatically resets this page to the lowest resolution.) 

In 2005, we rescued a Red Tail fledgling on Corralitas Drive, when it fell out of the nest, breaking a leg. 

Click here for all our Red Tailed Hawk nest videos.