At any nest site, as the weeks progress the fledglings start to explore a larger and larger area. One of the Pinetum fledglings has started to use an area south of the nest. It’s using the fruit trees south of Sparrow Rock, the dense forest between Tanner’s Spring and Summit Rock and the trees around Winterdale Arch.
I usually don’t get to see this nest this late in the season. The young Osprey had fledged and were having a great time exploring the small island their nest is on. The parents were feeding them on the nest but also on the rocks below the nest.
I caught up with the adult male and one of the Red-tailed Hawk fledglings on Tuesday afternoon. Both were about 200 yards south of the nest. The old fledgling is being more active lately, which is fun to watch, but makes it harder to find.
The older fledgling was given a Brown Rat by its father, but dropped it before I arrvied to watch it. Just after I arrived, it went to the ground and picked it up and then proceeded to eat it on three different branches in two trees. After watching both fledglings just perch after the rainstorm on Saturday, it was nice to watch one of them eat and fly around.
While I ended up only photographing one of the fledglings, there was lots of action around the Compost Heap, nursery, Conservatory Garden and the hospital. One fledgling was on TCC, another in the garden, one flying over the Compost Heap, and one in a tree. I can’t say for sure I saw all three, but I suspect I did.
Up by the Compost Heap is a Red-bellied Woodpecker nest. Today, I was lucky to watch both parents bring food to the nest.
