Sidney British Columbia!
Around the beginning of June, a fellow photographer, friend of mine showed me a photo of this Eagles nest with a strangely small baby eagle. He asked me if it was common for some of the nestlings to be older than the others, and to my knowledge, I said yes it was. However, this baby substantially smaller than any I had ever seen in comparison with its siblings... Turned out, this was no Eagle but a Red Tail Hawk.
There were aparantly 2 R.T.Hawks's at first, which I believe to have been stolen out of their nest by the plundering Eagle parent. (This food gathering behaviour is quite common, though frightful to us humans.. it is nature and survival)
These birds would have been brought to the nest as food for the young Eaglets ... One disappeared and it's presumed was eaten, while this 2nd Hawk somehow lived and became an adoptee.
As I observed this evening, when the parents arrived with fresh food, this baby Hawk popped his head up and screamed for dinner... Which was promptly delivered.. Lovingly, and tenderly, I might add.
Time will tell if there are other stories out there similar to this one, but for me it draws some parallels to my own life and existence in the Natural world. Hope you enjoy the photos... Terry
Around the beginning of June, a fellow photographer, friend of mine showed me a photo of this Eagles nest with a strangely small baby eagle. He asked me if it was common for some of the nestlings to be older than the others, and to my knowledge, I said yes it was. However, this baby substantially smaller than any I had ever seen in comparison with its siblings... Turned out, this was no Eagle but a Red Tail Hawk.
There were aparantly 2 R.T.Hawks's at first, which I believe to have been stolen out of their nest by the plundering Eagle parent. (This food gathering behaviour is quite common, though frightful to us humans.. it is nature and survival)
These birds would have been brought to the nest as food for the young Eaglets ... One disappeared and it's presumed was eaten, while this 2nd Hawk somehow lived and became an adoptee.
As I observed this evening, when the parents arrived with fresh food, this baby Hawk popped his head up and screamed for dinner... Which was promptly delivered.. Lovingly, and tenderly, I might add.
Time will tell if there are other stories out there similar to this one, but for me it draws some parallels to my own life and existence in the Natural world. Hope you enjoy the photos... Terry
This was my 1st shot of the little RT Hawk!
June 24th AM .. this is where LittleEagle spent the night and his Dad was there with him sitting on the limb above.
LittleEagle talks with Starling who just caught his own breakfast
LittleEagle heads up top
After spending an entire day in the tree he fledged to June 23, LittleEagle is shown here on his flight back to the Nest tree!
A puff of down flies off of LittleEagle as he takes flight June 26th AM
This is a wider angle perspective showing the nest and a tree to the East where an adult Eagle often sits
All the kids in a row! June 27th around 8PM
June 29th PM .. LittleEagle hops through the nest, just before his sunset flight
