Red-shouldered Hawks
We had a short break in the multi-day rain pattern. I got a late morning start and went to the Lindy Bain Loop Trail along the golf course pond. Both of our adult resident Red-shouldered Hawks were perched together. This pair had a few youngsters last spring, but only one of the juveniles seems to have stayed here in Old Trail this winter. The male hawk took off and started flying around. I heard another Red-shouldered Hawk far to the west of the pond. I started thinking that it was about that time in the year when these two hawks should be getting ready to breed.
Red-shouldered Hawks
Female Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawks
Male Red-shouldered Hawk
Male Red-shouldered Hawk
Male Red-shouldered Hawk
I hiked up past the pond and saw the back of another Red-shouldered Hawk along the golf course fairway #1. I thought that it might be their juvenile, and looked back to see the adult pair back along the east side of the pond. But when I got close to this third hawk, it turned around, and I saw that it was another adult. A minute later, the third hawk flew off to the southwest.
Red-shouldered Hawk
The two adult hawks then flew to a tree near the golf #1 green.
Red-shouldered Hawks
But the male did not stay there very long, and took off to the west. There was a lot of hawk cries, and I wondered what was going on.
Male Red-shouldered Hawk
Male Red-shouldered Hawk
Male Red-shouldered Hawk
The male came back to the tree with the female, both of them looked to the west , and soon afterwards, the male took off again.
Red-shouldered Hawks
Red-shouldered Hawks
The male flew high and circled with their juvenile. The juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk then took off and flew out of sight to the east, and the male came back to the female.
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk
This time, the male mounted the female. It was only a few minutes after I was thinking it was that time of the year.
Red-shouldered Hawks
Red-shouldered Hawks
Red-shouldered Hawks
Red-shouldered Hawks
Female Red-shouldered Hawk
I continued past that tree, and saw two hawks in the distance just past the golf tee box #3. There weren't any golfers on the course at that time, so I got closer. It was a pair of juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks! Their lower belly markings distinguished them from the juvenile I had seen fly to the east.
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks
Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks
Nearby, another pair of adult Red-shouldered Hawks, and presumably one of them was the hawk that I saw fly in that direction, were calling to the juveniles.
Red-shouldered Hawks
Wow! Seven Red-shouldered Hawks! I presume that this last pair of adults and the two juveniles were just passing through the area, and the resident male hawk kept flying in that direction to keep an eye of them, and keep them away from its territory. I headed back along the trail to my car, and saw the Great Blue Heron that I know has been here for months, as this one prefers to keep it's mouth open. I did see it close its bill when it wanted to do so.
Great Blue Heron