community.kjrh.com

Wednesday, April 16th

7:35 F standing in nest at 12 feeding small mouse to hawklets.  Largest chick getting most of the food. Large chick moved out of the way behind smaller chick. F sees to want to feed small chick but small cannot seem to get off the floor of the nest, F offering food but small chick not picking up head, trying.

7:40 Larger chick back by F feeding. The smaller chick knows to go to a beak to get food but is trying to go to the beak of the larger chick. F tosses a piece of good in front of the smaller chick and he (assuming male) eats it.

7:45 F finishes eating the small mouse.

Note: It looks like the smaller chick is getting new, darker feathers also.  Hope is wasn't just a shadow.

08:39  Both hawklets resting peacefully in the nest.  Seem to be sleeping.  No adults around.

---

'Security—does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.' Helen Keller

---

'Security—does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.' Helen Keller

i haven't seen small chick move at all in the past hour. Mother keeps staring at it for a while then looks around and then stares at it some more.  Big chick has stepped on it and it still doesn't move.  Not a good sign in my book, even though people say that is nature.  It's sad.

10:50 F trying to hold on to railing at 9, got blown off backwards, got back on. Small check still not moving, F keeps looking at it. Although F seems to be having trouble hanging on to the railing because of the wind she won't jump down to the nest.  She keeps looking at the smaller check.

11:24 F leaves via 3.  The camera not zooms in to get a closer look at the chicks.  The larger chick is now lying on top of the smaller chick.  Still no movement from smaller chick even though the larger chick was all over it for several minutes.

11:35 F back, landed on railing at 9 then she jumps to 3.  Cannot see her except for tail because camera is still zoomed in on the chicks.

11:45 Camera zooms back out. F is perched on railing at 3, she has her back to the nest.  The large chick is still lying on top of the small chick.  Still no movement except for the large chick.

12:20 f back from 9 with lunch, seems to be a small bird.  f jumps to 3.  The large chick gets up off the small chick and the camera zooms in to get a look, no movement from small chick.  Camera zooms in even closer, no movement.  Camera zooms back out.

12:28 f is feeding large chick.  She looks at the smaller chick and seems to be trying to nudge it. f continues feeding the large chick.

12:32 f pecks the small chick twice, no movement. She continues feeding the larger chick.

12:35 the large chick lays down on top of the smaller chick while f is at 3 eating the remains of lunch.  The large chick is jumping on and pecking at the smaller chick, still no movement.

Where is Raptorman when you need him to explain what we are seeing?  If the chick is dead (what a tragedy) I wonder what the female will do.  I wonder what the protocol is.

3:30 EST
I've been watching on and off for the past two hours. The smaller hawklet has barely moved during this time.
Larger hawklet has been active for most of the time - seemed to sleep after the last feeding and may be sleeping now.
When active, seemed to be stretching its wings and trying to walk a bit (wobbly). Turns head left and right occasionally as if looking around.
When the parent fed the larger hawklet, the small one didn't wake up. The parent seemed to peck around the small one - grooming the nest or eating dropped food, or maybe trying to wake it to eat.
The parent is sitting on the outer edge of the nest now. It appears to be very windy.
I think the most recent food was a fairly good sized bird. Most of the meals I've seen have been mice.

15:32 Female still on side of nest at 3 looking out of the nest , appears to be allowing the wind to blow through her feathers.  I have watched her off and on since 15:07 and she remains in the same position.  Older hawklet moving about.  If the younger is dead - will she remove it from the nest?

---

'Security—does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.' Helen Keller

16:00 f feeding larger chick.  Smaller chick just lifted up it's head.  Hopefully this is what I really saw.

16:00:  Very windy, F feeding larger chick.  Saw smaller lift up his head and look around a couple of times too.

Maybe the wind is just too much for him today.

Update: The smaller hawklet has been moving slightly since 3:05 p.m. CST, but still remains in sleeping position.
At 3:35 p.m. the adult flew from the right side of the nest; returned to left side at 3:45 (without food). 3:47, moved to right side and began feeding larger hawklet for several minutes. Just before 4:00 p.m., the smaller hawklet lifted its head, but did not get fed.
Currently, the adult hawk is perched toward the back of the nest. It's still very windy. Looks like they have finished eating the bird - I can't see any signs of a carcass.

conditions: 75 degrees F Winds SSW @ 8 mph gusts to 16 mph partially cloudy

1550: Adult (M I believe) standing primarily at 2, feeding larger eyas from a bird carcass; DEFINITELY saw younger eyas move but it's not interested in the food

1555: Larger eyas walking, using wings for balance, standing fully erect... continues to feed from adult, who is still positioned at 2, facing 6 and turning to feed the hawklet

1658 Larger eyas moves to center of nest, smaller eyas reacts to the motion, picking its head up and looking around... still not interested in feeding; adult moves to 11 and looks into nest, then moves to 12 and appears to vocalize (I SO wish we had a microphone up there).

1600 Large eyas settles a bit, adult moves to 2 and looks to 3, having a little trouble balancing due to gusty winds; more possible vocalizations

1610 Larger eyas moving around, possibly preening? Some movement from smaller eyas. Adult continues scanning from roughly 3-6 and balancing against the wind

---

(8-{)
Russell Mills
Online Content Director
KJRH-TV Channel 2
PO Box 2 Tulsa, OK 74101
(918) 748-1560

The FIRST and ONLY station in Oklahoma to broadcast local news in HD!

17: 35 Adult feeding larger hawkling - it finally turns away and seems to be trying out it's legs and wings.  Meanwhile the younger one is sitting with head up watching but not opening his mouth for feeding.  He is facing the adult.  After the older one stops feeding she starts to feed the younger one.  He seems quite interested in the food.  Thank god.

I wonder if Kay's standing on the side of the nest most of the day is to encourage the older one to stand up and walk about.  Older seems to be doing a lot of that today -very active, seems to be moving her wings and trying to walk about.  She (older) is showing much vigor.

---

'Security—does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.' Helen Keller

Some observations on some of the observations:

For the first few weeks in a hawklets life it is mostly about eating, growing, sleeping and deificating while attempting to conserve as much energy as possible. Now the older hawklet is embarking on the nest phase: muscular and advanced plumage development, co-ordination, skill development. The younger hawklet (male) should enter that phase in a few more days.

The older hawklet laying on top of the younger should not been seen as a negative. This aids greatly in the smaller bird being kept warm, saving precious energy for growth.

The younger hawklet got a very good feeding (at least half crop) earlier this evening.

---

If you continue to think the way you've always thought then you will continue to get what you've always got, is that enough?

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Today: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 71. Breezy, with a south southeast wind between 13 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tonight: Occasional showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Some of the storms could be severe. Low around 47. South southeast wind 11 to 17 mph becoming west. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

06:45  M and F at nest, M had brought prey (field mouse). M jumped from nest via 3, youngest hawklet was wide awake, alert and sitting up while older was laying on nest, F fed youngest for several minutes before older hawklet joined in

07:00  F leaves via 3, hawklets sleeping

Likely the hawklets and smaller, in particular, have been getting their first meal earlier than the nest observations have started each morning. This may account for the lengthy sessions of sleep.

 

I will be away again much of today. Keep the observations coming.

---

If you continue to think the way you've always thought then you will continue to get what you've always got, is that enough?