Hawk capers on Thursday, July 9

Carolyn Sutton (Carditoo) has to get the MVP award for early morning hawk watching! She is out at 5:00 am EVERY morning! Kay and I get there about every third or fourth day, but Carolyn is definitely the primo observer of our hawk family. Here's her account of what's been happening these last few days:

"After a great July 6th morning of hawk-watching with Della and Kay, I have to admit to being bored on July 7th and 8th, disappointed that the hawks seemed to be moving outward, and away from the Franklin Institute area.

I saw all three eyasses on the Whole Foods' roof when I arrived at 5:00 am on Tuesday, but they soon took off, heading northwest toward Kelly Drive. I was joined by Margie from Haddonfield and though we looked and looked until 7:30 am we saw nothing. Wednesday’s experience was similar, although the eyasses chose the Library as their mustering point before leaving to hunt in a southwesterly direction. I stayed until 7:30 am and saw nothing.

BUT, though last night I contemplated giving up my dawn watch, I woke with my usual craving for a hawk fix and headed toward town. I decided to drive all around the area with windows down, listening for the plaintive calls that show me the way to hawk paradise.

While I heard nothing earlier in the week, I picked up the sound of eyass #1 at 5:15 am as he flew over my car on his way to the Franklin Institute. Very shortly eyasses #2 and #3 arrived from the trees on 21 Street and Winter for the home-coming. I watched one eat as the other two were dancing on the ledges and flying across the Parkway, alighting on old some old haunts – the Civil War monuments, then dive bombing lower than I have ever seen. One actually flew UNDER the Barnes construction barrier, a space no more than a foot or two wide!

Knowing now that at least two eyasses were in the tree alley, I went to explore and heard them calling right above my head. I was all set to watch them perform, when I turned around and, LO, saw the third eyass sitting on the nest! S/he actually remained there, pecking, preening and hopping about for 20 minutes, before flying over to the tree alley.

Now there were three eyasses overhead. They flew from branch to branch, still calling out, before launching an all-out attack over the meadow, actually skimming the grasses. They perched in a few familiar places, including the 20th Street trees where Della spotted four or five all at once last weekend.





By now, I started to regret leaving the camera in my truck, which was way over by the Whole Foods Market. How to get over there without missing the action?- that was the question as I watched all three eyasses jump into the meadow to perform their chicken impersonations.

I managed to retrieve the camera just as one eyass took off for 21st Street. I got some good shots of the other two as they cavorted for nearly half an hour, before shifting their show to the Parkway & 21st Street corner of the meadow.



Look how casually competent our little chicks have become at catching their own food!






























Notice one bird watching longingly as the other takes off with his catch of the day.




At this point, one eyass was perched on some masonry test panels, one was doing the chicken dance right below, and one was calling from the trees. I took off in hot pursuit, upset when two eyasses took off into the tree alley, but managed to get close enough to the third bird to get more close-ups.



My last picture, was shot obliquely through the chain-link fence. Notice the remains of breakfast on his beak.

No sign of the tiercel or formel, but the eyasses are most definitely chowing down

At 7:00 am I had to leave, but for just under two hours, I was in hawk heaven, sad to leave today, but chomping at the bit to return tomorrow (Friday) to meet up with Della."


- Carolyn Sutton aka Carditoo