Hawks Blowin' in the Wind

Part 8 of the Hawky New Year! series doesn't have a lot of dramatic action, but it does include at least three first-year red-tailed hawks posing prettily on branches from Jan. 23 through Jan. 26 as they blow about on some very windy days, as well as an adult hawk hanging out in the rain on Jan. 24. There is no hawk dining in this video, so it is definitely safe for all viewers (there are a couple of clips of scared squirrels, but they survived, at least on these days).

By the way, I've put all the Hawky New Year! videos onto a single page, so you can binge watch at your leisure.

First-year red-tailed hawk, Central Park, Jan. 23, 2017

I think the adult red-tailed hawk (left), seen in the rain on Jan. 24, was Octavia, but I'll not commit myself. The hawk on the right is one of the youngster hawks, seen on Jan. 24.

The photos were taken on sunny and not-so-sunny days, which makes for some interesting contrasts.

Red-Tailed Bath Time

Part 7 of Hawky New Year! features young red-tailed hawks hanging around the Ramble, Pale Male hanging out on a streetlight, and a youngster taking a butt bath east of SummerStage on the afternoon of the Women's March. Dates: Jan. 19 through Jan. 22.

A first-year red-tailed hawk takes a bath near SummerStage, Jan. 21, 2017

Young red-tailed hawk, Jan. 19, 2017

Pale Male, near the obelisk, Jan. 22, 2017

The Hawky New Year! video, Part 7, Jan. 19-22.

The photos varied in quality because of cloudy days among the sunny days.

I saw a Cooper's hawk on Jan. 20. I got a photo, but didn't get any video. So here's the shot:

A Hunter in the Ramble

There was a lot of hawk action on January 18. Part 6 of Hawky New Year! shows a first-year red-tailed hawk at Bethesda Fountain, then another young hawk hunting a squirrel near the rustic shelter in the Ramble. The hawk was flying around us as we fed the birds, and eventually swooped down right by me as it grabbed the squirrel. It ate half on the ground, then flew to a tree near the Oven and finished off the rest. There was also a Cooper's hawk in a tree over the Oven.

Young red-tailed hawk in the Ramble, Jan. 18, 2017

The alertness of the red-tailed hawk as he ate has been noticed with all the young first-year hawks we've been seeing with their prey. It's one thing to catch the dinner, another thing to eat it without having it stolen by another hawk.

There is some graphic hawk dining in this video.

The first two photographs are of the young hawk at Bethesda Fountain. The next photos are of the young red-tailed hawk who caught the squirrel. The last photo is of the Cooper's hawk above the Oven.