Eat, Sleep, Stretch, GROW!

Sunday was another very hot, humid day in Philadelphia. The eyasses continue to devour everything their busy parents bring them, and they are growing as we watch, it seems. All these pictures were taken yesterday (Sunday, May 2).

Pretty much, an eyass's options are much the same as any other baby's: eating, looking around, and sleeping. Because it is currently so hot, they are not huddling up as much. The tiercel is still bringing odd bits of greenery to the nest.



The deeper they sleep, the more spread out they get, and we are starting to see those huge legs and feet.



And now we have a total post-lunch crash!



Every so often, one of them wriggles around in sleep to change position; otherwise, they are out for the count.



Watching the arrival and departure flights of the parent birds is very engrossing for the eyasses. They cannot yet stand up on those ungainly legs, but use them along with their butts to make a tripod on which to sit up.



It's astonishing how much they have grown!



Another meal, another nap.



There's that leg again....and the remains of lunch is sitting on the greenery,



Instant wake-up call as the next snack arrives.



Slow down, Geronimo - I've got to get the feathers off first!



De-feathering the prey goes much faster when both parents are there to help.



The eyasses are always excited when the formel lands back on the nest.



Did I mention the big feet?



And they are starting to use those big feet to explore the world, or at least what's on the other side of the nest bowl.



Have wings, will crawl....



Gotta see what's out there...



...and then time for another nap.



The eyasses are starting to show some mature behaviors. The baby nearest the greenery here is preening its left wing


Though they still look like little aliens, each day they show more hawk-like appearance and behavior, even though they are barely two weeks old.

And we have the privilege of watching all this so closely, an experience very few people had ever had prior to these hawks picking the Franklin Institute's window-ledge for their nest.

Very smart hawks!