Goofy Juvies

This can be a fun time of year to observe raptors as many species' young are nearing full grown physical size and are venturing out and exploring their surroundings.  A number of local juveniles have been active in my neighborhood, doing some uncharacteristic things as they try and figure out the world around them.  You can often quickly identify a juvenile, even without a good view of markings, solely based on their behaviors, especially perching in unusual places, trying to catch prey unsuccessfully or sometimes just flying in a strange manner and/or rhythm.

I have noticed one (or maybe it has been more) young Red-tailed hawk frequently in the area, playing alone in the wind, or sometimes with one or even two other birds, likely its parents.  I am assuming they are from the nearby nest on Simpson and Michigan. You can just tell it's a juvenile because it does not fly with the same confidence, more jerky in motion, sometimes with uncertain direction and will land on the flimsiest of branches that can barely support its weight, bending the poor branch down like when Snoopy would pretend to be a vulture. They will go after prey clumsily and miss much more often than have success. I once saw a young RT somehow actually catch a snake, but then try to land and balance on a pointy stovepipe chimney to eat the still live and flailing reptile-wish I had a video of that!

I think the cemetery Swainson's hawks have fledged as well.  There also seems to be at least one silly, dark Swainson's flying around the open space and displaying similar antics to the Red-tail, missing prey and landing on skinny weak perches.  I saw one circle low above the Outdoor Classroom behind Escuela Bilingue Pioneer, dive down and disappear into the tall grass for a few seconds.  When it emerged empty handed, it landed on a nearby willow-like branch, which immediately sagged and bounced, but he stayed there.  Again, I am not sure if I have seen more than one, but a very dark one also appears to really like sitting on the telephone posts north of the cemetery along 111th, on the western edge of the baseball fields (where I have never really seen raptors before), watching the traffic and people go by.

The local Cooper's Hawks have even been active in the area.  I saw one futilely chasing some LBJs, who almost seemed to be toying with it, along the edge of the open space . The next day, I encountered a young one a block away while walking my lazy dogs under all the shade inside the neighborhood.  It came suddenly from down the street with a small grey bird in its talons, landing almost directly above us in a maple tree.  It was definitely a juvenile Cooper's, pretty big, flattish head, and very streaked without full adult markings yet. I stepped forward to get a better view and as I not so slyly took my phone out to snap a picture, I must have spooked it as it hopped (not flew, so another telltale juvie sign) to another branch and proceeded to drop its dove lunch.  I felt awful and hurried away, hoping it would feel safe enough to retrieve its lunch but I don't think it ever did.  I have since twice seen what I think is the same bird in the same vicinity, once eating what looked to be a roadkill dove, which it then carried into a nearby tree as I drove by, then again later that day it was sitting on the grass and flew in front of my car to then hide in a pine tree (it actually appeared to be hiding from sitting on a low branch, behind another, but still able to see me).  Silly Cooper's Hawk!  I won't be surprised if I see it again tomorrow, nor if I don't see another one for a long time.

The most entertaining of the juvenile raptors are often visible and audible as dusk or dawn approaches during the late summer.  Juvenile Great-horned Owls can be very curious and will also perch and hang out in unusual places, even more apt than usual to sit on a house or near human activity. Once I awoke to two different high-pitched screechy hootings and went outside to see two young GHOs on our roof, taking turns at unsuccessfully swooping down on some young bunnies peeking out from under a tree.  One night recently, as we ventured out for our evening walk, we were greeted to a strange, not so deep hooting.  There was a GHO perched on one of the neighbor's houses, looking out over the fields.  We were able to watch it for a time as we walked along the eastward path, swiveling its head (not 360 degrees, but rather more like 220 degrees in either direction).  At one point it was suddenly accosted by another owl, fluttered it wings and hopped up into the air, landing back on its same perch as its sibling(?) flew away.  The darkness grew and as we got farther and farther away we could still make out the silhouette on the roof.

Farther up the trail, another owl (or one of the same ones) was sitting on a post not ten feet from the trail just nonchalantly staring at the seven of us-three humans and four dogs-never so much as flinching, except to nod slightly from side to side, listening as one of us spoke. The seven of us stood there for a few minutes staring back before going on our way. The next night, just 100 yards or so down the path, we saw the silhouette of huge, round figure with pointy ears bobbing on a narrow branch, a perch upon which I never had before seen nor would I expect to see a large raptor.  It casually watched over the field, once again it appeared to be completely unconcerned with us as we ambled underneath it and continued home.

Always keep your eyes open and happy raptoring!