community.kjrh.com

It is extremely helpful from a scientific point of view and also to keep viewers aware of nest activity if members can record and post their observations of activity at the nest. The time (as of nest time) that the posted observations take place, feedings, food brought are helpful.

This is not my forum and I offer this advice for the sake of efficiency and from experience. I strongly suggest no chat (visiting with other members) on the observation thread. This tends to clog the important information and really slows down the reading for important information. Hopefully someone can post the local weather for the day at the start of each new day as weather plays an important role in raptor and prey behavior. 

You do not have to be an experience observer or knowledgable about the appropriate "terms" for behavior. That can be learned in time. Not everyone or maybe no one has the time to view the nest dawn to dusk but a team effort can create a workable series of observations and increase everyone greater understanding of this pair and Redtails in general.

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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?

This is an example of an observation post as I do them:

Thursday, April 11, 2008

This Afternoon: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a south southwest wind around 24 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Breezy, with a west southwest wind between 11 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.

Breezy, Dry and Sunny

08:30  F (female) left nest towards 9 (9 o'clock direction like segments of a clock). Hawklets left alone.

09:00  F returns from 9 with green vegitation, places in nest. Broods hawklets facing 6

10:49  F leaves via 9

10:52  M arrives from 9, no prey. Broods hawklets facing 6

 

Note: the daily weather for Tulsa can be found at: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Tulsa&state=OK&site=TSA&textField1=36.1277&textField2=-95.9164&e=0

 

I hope this helps get a regular series of observations going.

 

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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?

Windy, Raining

11:47  M left via 3

11:49  F arrives via 9 jumps to bar at 6 then down infront of cam (great closeups)

12:04  F goes to back of nest

12:06  F broods facing 5, adjusts nest substraight

 

* Note: Hawklets were left unattended for apprx. 19 minutes. This indicates they are more capable of thermoregulation (controlling their own body temperature to stay warm). They were left earlier this morning for about 25 minutes.   

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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?

I'll give this a try. :)

13:19 - Chicks alone in nest
13:20 - Parent, unsure which one, lands on bar at 7 (camera side of silver bars). Wings visible at landing, but bird out of view
13:22 - Wings visible again - possibly flying off?
--Very windy with strong gusts--
13:55 F returns from 9 with greenery. tries to weave it in the nest, but it blows away. F then stands on edge of nest at 3
14:00 - F flies off toward 3
14:04 - F returns from 9, perches on bar, moves around chicks in front of camera, then settles over chicks facing 2
14:08 - F moves to face 3
14:10 - M arrives from 9 landing on bar, has rodent, gives rodent to F, then leaves toward 9.
           F takes rodent to edge of nest at 3. Begins to tear food.
14:21 - F stands on nest's edge at top (12). Chicks appear to be resting more contently in nest
14:36 - F flies off toward 3
14:42 - M returns from 9, checks chicks, moves from bar to nest.  Appears to be making  contact calls x2 
14:44 - M flies off toward 3
14:45 - F returns from 9 with greenery.  Loses greenery in wind, again. Moves around nest's edge to 2 where she stands.
14:50 - F flies off toward 3
14:51 - F returns from 9. Stands on bar.
14:55-14:58 - F rearranges nesting material. Has difficulty doing that with the wind. Settles in over chicks. Facing 4.

Parent has been standing on right side of nest for awhile now and is being strongly buffetted by wind.  Hawklets just woke up and are moving around a bit.  4:45 PM CDT (Central daylight time).

15:48 - F sitting on nest.  M returns from 9 with food (bird), drops in nest behind F then flies off toward 3.
15:48 - F moves to edge of nest and picks up previous rodent, which she nearly loses in the wind. She then stands on it and begins to tear it.
15:48 - approx. 16:15 - F feeds babies, first part of the rodent, then part of the bird. The strong wind is giving her trouble as its blowing some of the tidbits away as she is feeding the babies. F moves around nest's edge to bar while feeding.  Almost loses her grip on the bar. Babies settle back down and F feeds
16:19 and again at 16:24 - F hanging onto bar at 9, appears to make contact calls
16:28 - 16:41 - F moved to opposite side of nest then stands and/or preens
16:42 - F jumps to silver bar at 7. Appears to make contact calls x2. (Not just "yawning")
16:46 -16:50 - F in nest and arranging material. Chicks awake and moving around. F back standing on 3 side of the nest.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a west wind between 17 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. West northwest wind between 10 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

06:50  F brooding facing 9

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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?

Friday, April 11

Approx. 1215 hours Central Male appears at nest from 9 and female leaves in that same direction.

Male works on nest, moving some twigs around while babies stir in the nest. Looked like he was trying to build the sides up a bit, maybe because of the wind?

He doesn't get much accomplished. After about 3 minutes he moves up on the bar at 9 and looks out of the nest. He then circles around the 12 side and climbs back into the nest, moving more twigs around.  About 4 and a half minutes he begins feeding the larger hawklet, standing on the 3 side facing into the nest. Looks like the prey is a small rodent, probably a mouse. Hard to tell though...

2 minutes into the feeding process the hawklet gets a pretty big chunk and has a hard time getting it down. Feeding goes on for about 10 minutes. I never saw him feeding the smaller hawklet.

He then moves a couple more twigs around then settles down to brood, facing 5.

Interesting that the female tends to feed both chicks, but in this case he only fed one of them.

EDIT: Posting the video of this session on the main Hawks Nest page.

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(8-{)
Russell Mills
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Friday, April 11th  1:30pm

Temp: 55 dergree with a 49 wind chill

Winds: WNW average 12 but gusting up to 32mph

Mostly cloudy

1:33pm  Female hawk on nest facing 5. Appears to be resting.

1:40pm Female starts looking around, seems to be scanning the 3-7 area.

1:52pm Female resting again, looks pretty windy, hawklets are underneath

Windy
2:30 PM CDT - Parent on rail, facing 6, but looking around.  Hawklets moving around a bit.
2:32 PM - Parent jumps to support on left side of nest, then steps down into nest and settles down over chicks facing 5.
2:36 PM - Parent still on chicks pulling on twig at 5.  Did not manage to move it.

Friday April 11th

Wind: WMW 18-37mph

Temp: 54 degrees

2:30pm- F on railing at 5 looking around and preening her chest feathers

2:32pm: F hops to railing at 9 then onto nest edge at 10 and settels in over hawklets facing 6

2:55pm: F continues resting in the nest facing 6

Friday April 11th

Temp: 56 Degrees

Wind: WNW 15-37

Partly sunny/cloudy

4:41pm: F at 2 on edge of nest feeding hawklets, just joined the web cam and only see the older hawklet feeding, bar is blocking my view of younger hawklet so I can't tell if it ate or not

4:44pm: F at 2 picks up partially eaten mouse carcass and flies off toward 9

4:47pm: Hawklets moving around in nest mostly facing 6. Older hawklet keeps moving around and younger hawklet keeps following and snuggling

5:02pm: F has returned and is perched on nest edge at 3

5:05pm: F at 4 hops to rail at 8 seems to be surveying below

5:07pm: F at 12

5:08pm: F at 3 then hops to the rail at 8

5:09pm: Wind blows F backwards over nest and she has to flap to regain her perch

5:10pm: F settles back over nest/hawklets facing 6

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a northwest wind between 18 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 36. North northwest wind between 7 and 13 mph

08:57  Both adults at nest, F feeding both Hawklets

 

Note: posters will find it easier/faster to post military/24 hr times. Posters will find the simpler, fewer words posted the faster their reports will type and read and consistency proves less confusing.

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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?

Saturday April 12, 2008

Temp: 55'

Mostly sunny , winds NW 20 mph

12:05   Female on nest brooding , facing 12:00

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'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

17:13  F feeding hawklets. (possibly squirrel or rat) Hawklets cropped right up.

 

The crop is a pouch in the throat area which allows some birds, including all raptors (except owls) to feed quickly from prey while on the ground or another vulnerable position.

http://www.hostingphpbb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1659&mforum=raptors#1659 

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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?