I was not only person to think this! Lots of hawkaholics were out and about at this early hour (6 AM)
... all looking for the first glimpse of our young stars. One soon appeared on the fence at the Barnes construction site. (Any unattributed pictures were taken by me.)
Carolyn SuttonThe group got bigger...
... and bigger!
And there was a LOT to photograph. Over the course of the morning, we saw the two haggards and both eyasses. The parents are doing a superb job of providing food drops, and both young hawks eating well.
The tiercel (Dad) delivered a small bird to the top of the Civil War monument, and immediately an eyass flew in to grab it, and hopped down to a lower ledge, bird dangling, to devour it. They are getting quite expert at defeathering their food.
George LloydThe other eyass sat for a while in a tree along the Parkway, eyeing squirrels and small birds...
... when it suddenly swooped down into the traffic lanes...
Scott Kemper... and pounced on some road kill - a small bird - that sadly had been squashed quite flat, and did not really look like a bird until the eyass grabbed at it. This is the first time in three years of hawk watching that I have ever seen one take some road kill.
Scott KemperThe road kill bird was in one of the lanes of the Ben Franklin Parkway - not a good spot to take one's time contemplating whether or not to eat it!
As soon as I took this picture, I stepped into the roadway behind the hawk to divert traffic if need be.
A couple of moments later, the hawk took off safely and up to a nearby security light's flat top...
Joe Debold...to rip into its road kill prize.
And Chris Bee, visiting for the day from NYC, Joe Debold and Scott Tremper caught every gruesome moment!
After it had finished eating, it relaxed on top of the lamp, and gradually lowered its wings in the warmth of the morning sun.
The Barnes construction site has lots of fun activities for curious young hawks. Joe captured this sequence of an eyass playing, jumping at, and ripping off some packing materials from crate top.
The previous day, the eyasses were hanging out together in the trees...
Joe Debold
Joe Debold... and in the grassy areas beneath...
Joe Debold
where Joe Debold caught them practicing sneak attack skills, jumping at each other and at sticks deep in the grass.
Then in a moment of stillness, this eyass looks as if it were sitting for John Audubon.
Joe DeboldThe tops of the Civil War monuments are currently the favorite spots for food drops. These monuments flank the Ben Franklin Parkway that leads up the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Parkway is lined by flags from many nations. The flagpoles are popular perching choices for the hawks, as well as the trees alongside.
Here is the formel (Mom) setting the table on top of one of the monuments.
Joe DeboldThe eyasses were both on the nest at that moment, watching her with... hawk eyes!
Joe DeboldShe flew the food over to the nest...
Joe Debold... and when the eyasses had finished eating, one of them started playing with a stick.
Joe Debold
Joe DeboldDad is always an enthusiastic stick deliverer, and he is clearly planning on nest improvements over the summer and fall.
Joe DeboldSunday morning's hawkwatch ended with one of those "money shots" yearned for by photographers. At the base of the Civil War monuments is elaborate carving that includes a small eagle.
Joe DeboldThis gives a sense of the scale, and of how small a perch the carved eagle was as a landing area.
The eyasses proved to us this weekend that they are making superb progress in their flying and hunting skills. And the amazing hawkaholic photographers are creating some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen of the Franklin Institute hawks.
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ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for the fabulous pictures and activity update. Wondering if they are still around the nest when #3 has recovered, will she get to rejoin her family, or be released at the Wildlife Rehab?
ReplyDeleteHope #3 is continuing to recover.
#3 is doing well in rehab (see previous posts). Too soon to know when she can be released - fractures take a while to heal.
ReplyDeleteThese are just amazing photos. What a nice treat to check them out. Do I understand correctly that the eyasses are still going back to the nest? Wish Pip would do the same. Too bad the Ben Franklin can't be re-routed, for the hawks' safety. :)
ReplyDelete--happy_looker
I thought I posted this earlier, I am so grateful for this blog, it's real time and for those of us who wish to be there but can't it's truly a marvelous resource! Thanks to everyone!
ReplyDeleteOMG! What a fabulous post. You and the other photographers are to be commended! Truly spectacular...thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteStay away form the roadkill youngins! I've seen one too many hawks make that mistake on our busy highways. So in case anyone's interested, we've also had many fledgling sightings over here at the Hosp. of Univ of Penn. We are located a couple of miles east of the Franklin hawks. Three eyas this year and all seem to be doing well. They are flying back and forth from the nest at the front of the hospital to the buildings around campus. I wish there were more tall trees for them to perch on but that's life in the city I guess. They especially love to go to the top of the weather vane on the Irvine Auditorium. Must be some view up there !
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all you're wonderful pics.
Eileen
Fairmount
Thank you for these wonderful pictures!
ReplyDeleteOMG, these updates/photos are AMAZING!! Laughed out loud at the "caught" roadkill. Great to see them doing so well and I can't wait for Squishy to join them!
ReplyDeleteI loved the packing material sequence! Did the construction workers like the help?
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great blog! Fascinating hawks, a great writer, talented photographers, an appreciative audience - all add up to a pleasurable experience for which I am so grateful. Thanks so much.
I worked across the street from the Hospital of the University of Penn a few years ago. I'm glad to see they still have redtails there. I know I saw at least two hawks there during my time working in the area.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I noticed is that the neighborhood songbirds Did Not Like when a medical helicopter came zooming in to land on the roof of one of the hospitals (HUP or CHOP which is next door). To them, any large airborne thing abruptly appearing overhead meant "predator". I wondered if it was the presence of the hawks that taught them this, or whether it's an inborn survival instinct written in the brains of all songbirds.
Is there anyway to get copies of the photos especially some of Joe D's?
ReplyDeleteIf you're on Facebook, go to Franklin Hawkaholics and you can send Joe a message about his photos. If you're not on FB, email me (click on my name or profile pic), and I'll put you in touch with Joe.
ReplyDelete