Wow, red-tail here in CT

[PeterB]

I'm visiting with the family at home, a few of the last few mornings, I'd heard a fairly shrill bird cry. I looked out the window, and sure enough it was a red-tail. Asked the folks about it, they said she frequents the backyard woods and has nested there a few years.

I tried taking some shots, but without a telephoto, it was nearly impossible, and there were too many tree branches in the way... this is about the best I was able to get (sorry for crappy quality photos):




... you can't tell scale from these photos, but that was one big bird.

[jesse]

We see a lot of them here in Oregon. Last Sunday on the way home from town, we had one swoop down across the road in front of us trying to catch it's dinner. After growing up in the Bay Area of San Francisco it is still a thrill to see them and Eagles and Osprey.

jesse

[PeterB]

Yeah, I'd heard about the famous ones nesting in NYC, but I had thought it was fairly rare to see them here in CT. (Forgot to say, this is the Fairfield County area in CT.)

[MacGurl]

Common as crows here in the midwest. I love them though!

Kathy

[GeneL]

They're all over the place here in Orange County, CA.

Two years ago, we followed the entire nesting cycle of a Red-tailed pair and actually saw the four youngsters fledge.

That all four nestlings survived was a great surprise.

No activity in the nest as yet this year.

[WHiiP]

It wouldn't have hurt to use your cropping tool a little, non????

HOLLA, while I'm at it . . .

[MacArtist]

My older sis and a group of her friends were into falconry back in the mid 70's. She raised a few Redtail Hawks. She had to get special permits from the Game, Fish & Parks Dept. They are amazing creatures.