Growing Up

Believe it or not, these are the baby hawks! At first, I wondered if a different hawk family had moved into the nest. Then I remembered it's been two weeks since I last saw them. They're now approximately four weeks old.  Aren't they big?

The little ones were on high alert watching several turkey vultures soaring overhead. They called and called, but neither Henry nor Henrietta responded or appeared. They were in the nest all alone. Suddenly, the vultures disappeared and the distinct sounds of Henry and Henrietta urgently calling filled the air for almost ten minutes. The songbirds stopped singing. The squirrels hid. Something was happening...but, what? Suddenly, Henry stealthily swooped into the nest just long enough to drop off a rodent...

...and then he was off...leaving the two little ones to fill their bellies on their own.

But, Henry and Henrietta's offspring do not like to share and this little guy was left without any food. So, he started calling again...and again...and again. But to no avail.

Apparently, hunger pains got the best of him and he attempted to swipe dinner from his sibling. A fracas ensued with wings flapping every which way.

The scuffle lasted a few minutes and thankfully no one appeared to be injured. The baby with the food held firm and made his way to the other side of the nest to devour his meal, but not in silence. His sibling started calling for Henry and Henrietta again. This time, though, his calls were much more pathetic sounding. I sure hope Hernry and Henrietta had a successful hunting trip and returned with dinner for him. Survival of the fittest sure is tough.