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June 7:
This morning I found Roxie feeding her family again. In this video, you can see the hawklets lined up on the sides of the nest. Two of them are sitting with tails facing the camera. And I would not be surprised to find two more sitting on the other side. (Can you hear the phoebe that sings to our hawk family? Don't worry about him. I believe a phoebe is too small to interest Rufous.)
When Roxie finished the feeding and left the nest, the activity began, as usual. Watch the lower right-hand side of the nest for movement. One of the little hawks is outside the nest or clinging to the edge of it. He flutters back into the nest, flaps his wings, and then continues on up the support limb to Roxie's perch. (Perhaps he is spurred on by our neighbor Jim's motorcycle roaring past the nest.)
Yes, the young hawks are branching! At least one of them is out of the nest. Here is a sequence of photos of the little adventurer as he flutters up to his Mama's perch and settles down like a big hawk.
Then Roxie joins him, looking at him as if to say, "Junior, when your tail gets as long as mine, THEN you can show me something!"
This little brancher is most likely the oldest of the brood. But the others will develop quickly and will not be far behind him!
Continue to Chapter 13: Fledglings
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