Great Horned Owl Moves into Hawk Nest 2012

This is year two for the Great-Horned Owls as history tries to repeat itself. Parents moved in early, before the nest owners (Red-shoulded Hawks) could reassert their rights. After all, they had been raising chicks successfully year after year--and now they have to keep building temporary nests as the urgent chick-bearing days approach. See the many years of Hawk Chicks here: http://www.joanrobins.com/Birds/Red-shoulder-Hawk-Nest-Parking

It's March 10 and she's BACK. She doesn't bother to bring stick or leaf, just moves right on in.
April 4
April 18, Yawn!
April 20 That was MY nest for many years. I want you OUT!
April 22, Other parent nearby--crows make it easy to find!
All three visible!!
April 28, we find the Red-shoulder Hawk nest in the Star Academy area.
May 1 is a day to remember. It started out just fine. Two big chicks in front . . .
The take the tags from wildcare of carefully.

April 13 -- sitting up, probably chicks areoun!
Heavy gloves protect handlers from those budding claws. Wildcare rescues a chick that has fallen. San Rafael, California

April 1, still sitting
Three chicks!!!!
April 19, do you like my hat?
Today, Sunday April 22, she dive-bombed the nest and then left. The owls went flat.
April 29, look at those wing feathers!
Smaller one is behind them. I go off to work and get a call from Don. No OWLS AT ALL. I call all over--wildcare, humane society, and no one has heard yet what happened. Finally Penny finds out that my friend Roger was there when the hawk finally got serious and knocked all 4 family members out of the nest, one swoop at a time. You can see Roger's pictures here: http://smu.gs/J34Hnf
Their little beaks are like castanets, clackclackclack -- the chicks are so scared.

neightboring Bushtit
April 16
April 22
April 23
April 27, getting big . . .
Wildcare and the Hungry Owl were going to return the chicks to the nest that evening. When I arrived, poor Mom was hovering near by. But when the huge cherrypicker truck arrived, she took off for the woods.

April 2
April 17, ah, at least two!
Bluebird neighbor
Life is good and boring . . .
Alex and Ann come prepared to put the chicks in their new home, a laundry basket.
First the basket goes up