Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawks are year round residents here in the Stoney Creek (Rockfish Valley) section of Wintergreen Resort. We had them nesting in our back yard in 2012 (Click here to read that report with photos), and they must be nesting near to our house this year, although I have not been able to locate the nest. For more than a month now, off and on from dawn to dusk, two juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks have been calling back and forth across our back yard, perhaps calling for mama.
With temperatures in the mid-90s and humidity levels almost that high, it was quite hot and uncomfortable to be outside, but the juvenile hawks have been calling since about 6:00 this morning, and I wanted to try to get some photos of them. One of them was perched out in the open (with barely any spots on its leg coverings), and the other (with darker spots on its leg coverings), remained more hidden, but I was able to get photos of both of them.
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
The juvenile that was in the open took off and circled a few times before landing in a tree across the pond from our yard.
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
I decided to hike a bit to see if any adult Red-shouldered Hawks were out and about. I walked down to the end of our street, and as I crossed over the earthen dam at the east end of Sawmill Creek pond #3, and adult Red-shouldered Hawk flew low across the pond an into the small pine forest at the end of our street.
Adult Red-shouldered Hawk
I hiked a bit more, and saw a distant Broad-winged Hawk circling with a Turkey Vulture to gain altitude before it left the area.
Broad-winged Hawk
As I was writing this report, Alice said that one of the Red-shouldered Hawks was sitting on the corner of her vegetable garden next to our house, and I was able to get a photo through our dining room window.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Two days ago, I thought that perhaps there were three juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks in our back yard. I took another look at the juvenile I photographed six days ago in our yard, and it appears to have large dark spots on its leg feathers, so I do think that there were three of them. We had three juveniles as well in 2012.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk