The Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), on Cottonwood Creek had a successful neslting this year. Two chicks, in their whitish feathers were spotted several weeks ago. They grew quickly and by the second week of May they had lost all of their white baby feathers and had turned mostly brown, with white spots on their heads, and were almost as big as the adult birds. It was amazing how fast they grew. Four days ago I noted that the two nestlings were out of the nest and perched in a nearby snag. The two young hawks seem to be moving from one tree to the next, under close supervision of the adult birds,but I have yet to see them winging it. Yesterday I saw two hawks soaring close together high above a ridge a mile from the nest, but the nesting area was hawkless. A hour later I spotted one of the adult birds perched near the nest but there were no other hawks visible. The youngsters must be getting really close to being able to purchase full flight.
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