2010 raptor nests

[conorhawk]

I thought it would be fun to show some of the raptor nests I have been watching. If anyone is watching raptor nests POST PHOTOS!

Kestrel

Red tail



Barn Owl

[goshawk5890]

Cool pics man

[wyodjm]

My wife and I took a drive along the Green River this past Saturday. (4-10-10) We found this pair of Golden Eagles nesting on an artificial nest structure along the river. The male is below. This pole and platform have been up for years, but this is the first time I've seen a pair of eagles hanging out on it. Sweetwater County, Wyoming.

[lupine]

In Portland, Oregon there's a popular RaptorCam. Three red-tails hatched out yesterday.

The mated pair have been returning to this fire-escape nest for a few years now...

http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/raptor-cam

[OATS]

Great idea Conor! Here are a couple active goshawk nests I will be keeping a close eye on. You can see by the date stamp on the pics that I took the photos a few days ago. Since then, we have had some big wind and several inches of snow. These things can be detrimental to gos pairs when they are just starting to lay. Neither of these pairs had begun laying when I was last there. Last year I watched a two pair of goshawks that were already on eggs. Both nests failed by the time I went back to check on them.

The first one (2 pics) is a new build. It is in a territory that has been used off and on for about 15 years.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...X/DSC01386.jpg

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...X/DSC01387.jpg

The second nest is one that has been used many times. There are 5 separate builds on this one nest as well as several satellite nests around it. It is one of the tallest gos nests I have seen.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...f/DSC01390.jpg

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...X/DSC01393.jpg

[California Native]

Great idea Conor! Here are a couple active goshawk nests I will be keeping a close eye on. You can see by the date stamp on the pics that I took the photos a few days ago. Since then, we have had some big wind and several inches of snow. These things can be detrimental to gos pairs when they are just starting to lay. Neither of these pairs had begun laying when I was last there. Last year I watched a two pair of goshawks that were already on eggs. Both nests failed by the time I went back to check on them.

The first one (2 pics) is a new build. It is in a territory that has been used off and on for about 15 years.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...X/DSC01386.jpg

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...X/DSC01387.jpg

The second nest is one that has been used many times. There are 5 separate builds on this one nest as well as several satellite nests around it. It is one of the tallest gos nests I have seen.

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...f/DSC01390.jpg

http://i956.photobucket.com/albums/a...X/DSC01393.jpg

Hello Eric,
Are these Birch Tree groves ? Certainly good forks in the trees to hold nests for years. Nests here is some trees, barely last a season if the tree does not have the right fork structure or horizontal limbs to hold them.

Are these Goshawks considered the larger size hawks I have seen from the Yukon ? I have seen a few of these large Goshawks reach falconers in states down here. Interesting to see what they use up in your part of Alaska.
Dan

[California Native]

I thought it would be fun to show some of the raptor nests I have been watching. If anyone is watching raptor nests POST PHOTOS!

Kestrel

Red tail



Barn Owl

Conor,

Fun to see your nest photos. My falconry beginnings were not far from you in Pomona and your photos bring back memories of those early times. The cavity for the Barn Owl is a great one.
I just purchased a digital camera and if this thread continues, maybe I can add a few to your thread.
Thanks for starting this thread.
Dan

[California Native]

My wife and I took a drive along the Green River this past Saturday. (4-10-10) We found this pair of Golden Eagles nesting on an artificial nest structure along the river. The male is below. This pole and platform have been up for years, but this is the first time I've seen a pair of eagles hanging out on it. Sweetwater County, Wyoming.

Hello Dan,

Are the pole platforms placed to attract any particular species of raptors ? Here in Oregon, many were places around the state for Osprey. Bald Eagle and Great Gray Owl as well. All are used by each of those three species. I have encouraged that long ledges and holes be dug out in hard dirt cliffs along the coastal areas and inland where these dirt cliffs occur. I see a lot of places this could be done to enhance nesting opportunity for prairie, peregrine and other cavity nesters. I have thought a pole with a large nest box with proper substrate could allow merlin and other falcons like peregrines to nest where food is available, but nesting cliff or structures are absent.
Dan

[conorhawk]

Red-Tails






Cooper's Hawk


Red Shouldered Hawk


Long Eared Owl

[OATS]

Hello Eric,
Are these Birch Tree groves ? Certainly good forks in the trees to hold nests for years. Nests here is some trees, barely last a season if the tree does not have the right fork structure or horizontal limbs to hold them.

Are these Goshawks considered the larger size hawks I have seen from the Yukon ? I have seen a few of these large Goshawks reach falconers in states down here. Interesting to see what they use up in your part of Alaska.
Dan

Hi Dan, Alaska is a pretty big place so our goshawks are all over the map in terms of nesting trees, bird size, plumage color, etc. The goshawks around our local use birch stands about 90% of the time, and occassionally an aspen or younger cottonwood. In other places in our state the nesting tree selection is a little different. We can have pretty wild weather here, big snowfalls, 100mph winds, but the nests generally stay up for years. As far as gos size I think our's average a little bigger than the Lower 48 state birds although we do have some occassional very large individuals show up. According to Beebe and Webster the farther you go north on any continent the larger the birds get. I have been curious of some of the discussion I have read on NAFEX pertaining to coloration versus subspecies. Some have posted pics of birds they thought to be a darker subspecies. From pair to pair there is much variation in color around here. I can watch a pair of goshawks at one nest and then drive 20 minutes to another and the birds will be a different color. Some are dark, some are lighter, some have more barred chests and so on. I wouldn't have considered them to be different subspecies. Yep, a lot variation in color and size.

[wyodjm]

Hello Dan,

Are the pole platforms placed to attract any particular species of raptors ? Here in Oregon, many were places around the state for Osprey. Bald Eagle and Great Gray Owl as well. All are used by each of those three species. I have encouraged that long ledges and holes be dug out in hard dirt cliffs along the coastal areas and inland where these dirt cliffs occur. I see a lot of places this could be done to enhance nesting opportunity for prairie, peregrine and other cavity nesters. I have thought a pole with a large nest box with proper substrate could allow merlin and other falcons like peregrines to nest where food is available, but nesting cliff or structures are absent.
Dan

Hi Dan:

I think the pole platform/nest structure was originally designed for ospreys. That would be my guess anyway. The pole overlooks the Green River. The nest is also right on the north boundary of Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. I hope the eagles are successful.

Best,

Dan

[silverleapers]

If you guys post/map them on eBird everyone would be able to have a gawk (via binoculars if need be for spooky birds). Website http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

It might also help falconers find branchers, passage birds getting ready to leave the natal area, etc. Enjoy (search for a raptor species on the maps and change the time period to summer to find local nests).

[robhawkyyz]

one of my local redtail nests, i have watched it for 8 years. they usually produce two but, lately the last two years one. sorry, it's all i can do with a canon sd 1000

[Tasha55403]

If you guys post/map them on eBird everyone would be able to have a gawk (via binoculars if need be for spooky birds). Website http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

It might also help falconers find branchers, passage birds getting ready to leave the natal area, etc. Enjoy (search for a raptor species on the maps and change the time period to summer to find local nests).

Somehow this just seems like a bad idea to me. You're going to turn around and find your nests surrounded by birders and pulling one will become a fiasco.

[PeteJ]

Somehow this just seems like a bad idea to me. You're going to turn around and find your nests surrounded by birders and pulling one will become a fiasco.

I'm with Tasha on this one I think. Birders in general do not have the same sense of awareness about what constitutes too closer or a disturbance to nesting raptors. I've seen it with rare raptor alerts...someone will put online and whammo...the entire area is covered up in birders for weeks to come. Some of them are fairly cool about falconry, but others are not. Even amongst falconers you have to be careful with nest location information. The horror stories that could be told.....but this is not the venue.

[conorhawk]

I'm with Tasha too.

[Tasha55403]

[conorhawk]

Awesome pics Tasha!!!

[cllhawker]

Awsome pics! The first pic of the Osprey looks like a sign of death?

[PeteJ]

What did Ospreys do before transmission towers and man made structures? Oh wait...they nested on the beach.LOL

[ladyfalconer]

In the second picture...is there a second nest below the top one?
Leah

[Tasha55403]

Awsome pics! The first pic of the Osprey looks like a sign of death?

?

[Tasha55403]

What did Ospreys do before transmission towers and man made structures? Oh wait...they nested on the beach.LOL

Lol. They're definitely doing very well. It's kinda funny, I was just looking at an article from the 60's on raptor populations (when the DDT effects were first being noticed) and it was talking about how poorly the ospreys were doing. I think 250 pairs only produced 55 young or something like that. I'd say they've bounced back beautifully now, though

[Tasha55403]

In the second picture...is there a second nest below the top one?
Leah

Yes, it looks like a big old nest on the bottom, then another attempt just above it, then the one at the top that they're on now. Busy birds

[rrcoati]

[raptrlvr]

[raptrlvr]

Couple more from this GHO nest.

[Tasha55403]

Awwww....those are GREAT pics!

[zx2run]

Coop Nest



Plucking Post



Male Coop coming in to nest site...

[raptrlvr]

Thanks Tasha..