Friday, May 7, 2010

Up close with the hawks on May 6

Kay Meng took these pictures of the eyasses from the Boardroom on Thursday afternoon, May 6.

They are so much bigger than they appear on the Ustream camera feed. At three weeks old, their heads are as big as the eggs were, and each eyass is about the size of a pigeon.



They are still fuzz-covered, but their feathers will soon start to grow in.




They climb over and lie on each other with no ill-feelings.



Mom dropped by a couple of times to check on what was happening behind the window, but seemed unconcerned by our presence. Now that we know all about slicing, you can see the eyasses' slices coating the side of their window alcove. Hopefully, they'll learn to aim better out over the edge!



Though they are still essentially helpless fluffballs, their impending strength and muscularity is quite apparent.



And those feet are HUGE....



.... tipped with the wickedest talons in hawkdom.... yet to be used.

8 comments:

  1. Kay, These picture are just AWESOME!!!
    Della, thank you so much for sharing them with us!

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  2. Wow, these photos just take my breath away! I know they're adorable, but the Ustream feed doesn't do these fluffy bundles justice!!

    Thank you Kay for taking these stunning photos, and Della, thank you so much for sharing them here :)

    ~ Cam

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  3. Thanks for your ongoing coverage of these hawks. It's just as fascinating this year as it was last year. I work across the street at the Library, so they seem like neighbors.
    -KL

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  4. Wow! I just learned so much more about the eyasses! Amazing pics!

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  5. Many thanks to Kay for her photography skills, and the Franklin Institute for allowing her in the boardroom to take these shots. And thanks again to you, Della, for maintaining and updating this blog. What a thrill we're having watching it all unfold!

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  6. I feel blessed to be able to see the hawks up close and personal, thank you so much for adding another dimension to our viewing!

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  7. Beaks and feet!
    Loved these closeups, Kay !

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  8. Lovely blog. Thanks for the images and information

    I have found another Red Tail nest in the city (April 2010). It's located in a tall pine just south of Mount Pleasant mansion in Fairmount Park. I am a filmmaker and I have been filming the adult pair since early April. The nest has chicks but one can't see into the nest.

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