Backyard and Beyond

Perched relatively close to each other, an adult Red-tailed Hawkand a juvenile, from the class of ’18. They were not in sight of each other, but they certainly were in calling distance. I wonder if they are teaming up?

You can see the difference in tail feathers nicely here, russet for the adult, stripped reddish-brown for the youngster. It takes a good year for the young ones to get the nominal red tail feathers.

Also note the white splotches on the back, in a rough V- pattern. These be can variable across individual birds.

Raptor Note: Yesterday, about 8:00 a.m., I spotted a pair of American Kestrels on the chimney pot. They were grooming themselves. Had they just mated? This is the first time I’ve seen a male and female side-by-side this year. Last year, a pair nested on the corner. Here’s the whole #BrooklynKestrels saga. Last year, “they” were seen together in the middle of February (and mating was observed in January!). “They” being in quotes because I don’t know if they’re the same individuals this year. Hope to get some closer pictures.

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