Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 17:12:01 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Frank Powers Subject: Red-shouldered Hawks in same nest, Cabin John Island MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable There were Red-shouldered Hawks in the very same nest where a pair = successfully fledged chicks last year. The nest is about 50-60 feet up = in a crook in a sycamore at the mouth of Cabin John Creek on Cabin John = Island just west of the C & O Canal. The bird on nest when I arrived was the larger of the two, very bright = color (orange-streaked breast, crisp black & white color on its back, = very sharp dark eye-stripe). Shortly after I had arrived, this bird = flew off to a limb across the southern branch of the creek where it = perched for a short while (flexing its wings, giving good looks at the = red on its shoulders). A smaller Red-shouldered hawk had apparently flown in as the other bird = was leaving and took over nesting duties (I didn't see the exchange; I = was occupied with the bird that left). This bird had quite a bit of = gray on its face and the back of its neck. Colors didn't seem as = bright; its chest even a yellowish-brown. As I watched for a little over an hour, the smaller bird shifted = position from time-to-time (especially toward the end). Interestingly, = it didn't seem to take much notice of the many distractions that = occurred over the course of the hour. A family visiting the creek, with = 2 kids splashing rocks into the Potomac's channel near the eastern = shore, maybe 150 yards from the nest. Planes flying almost directly = overhead, as the headed to National Airport every few minutes. A = kayaker paddling directly beneath the tree going toward the canal (the = bird on the nest did follow his progress away from the nest). 3 = heliocopters flying low over the river, just a bit to the west of the = nest (it paid no attention at all). A chattering Belted Kingfisher = flying up and down the creek didn't get a glance, nor did the Northern = Flicker and Red-bellied Woodpecker landing in trees nearby. The larger bird did not return during the period I was there. Last year, I first discovered a Red-shouldered Hawk on this nest on = March 22. The first sighting of chicks was on May 4th. There didn't = seem to be any activity in terms of rebuilding the nest when I last = observed it on Feb 15 of this year. It clearly had been worked on since = then. After leaving and walking north along the Potomac River bank, I came = across an Eastern Phoebe vigorously calling and in fresh plumage. A = second Phoebe answered from nearby. Good birding, Frank Powers Glen Echo, MD Montgomery County frankpowers at comcast dot net. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================