This is a pair of Redtails I've been fortunate to record for the last 3 years. In that time they have fledged 8 young ones. This year I got to watch 3 very healthy youngsters leave the nest. The parents are wonderfully attentive and hard working and there was a constant rotation of different meals coming in, often without the typical battle for food as seen in the other 2 years. This is the largest snake I've seen the female bring in and she had just taken it's head off and was holding it down on top of a light standard, where it was still thrashing around when I arrived for picture taking. She flew off with it for awhile till it stopped thrashing, I assume so it would'nt knock any of the fleglings off the ledge. There are also a lizard and a squiirel being delivered along with another small rattler. Not the most photogenic nestsite and background, but it does afford a fine opportunity to watch a successful pair of Redtails raise their families.
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4of11 Wings tucked in a high speed descent

5of11 The Rattlesnake

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10of11 Youngster paying with a rattle

wow...amazing...they made their nest on top of some building?

A lecture on the virtues of being a vegetarian.

Great collection, Chris. Good to see wildlife adapting to urban sprawl. Why doesn't some birding group install a more suitable nesting foundation on that building? They do it with Osprey on top of power poles.

Tony

Imagemaster wrote:
Great collection, Chris. Good to see wildlife adapting to urban sprawl. Why doesn't some birding group install a more suitable nesting foundation on that building? They do it with Osprey on top of power poles.

Tony Hi, Tony. Thanks you. The company that owns the building is very protective of these guys, they have been so successful they are reluctant to change anything. The birds have nice warmth in the day and I assume the building holds some heat in the stone facade for nights. These 2 return and build every year and the nests seem to be pretty sparse, just enough so to speak. They are great hunters, with the Dad bringing in the bulk of the rabbits and squirrels and the female constantly sceaming at him to get more.

Mstic wrote:
wow...amazing...they made their nest on top of some building?
Well it is actually on a ledge above some windows about 18 ft off the ground in the open with lots of people passing by all day. Very cool to watch.

Awesome series Chris.5,6 and 7 are super action shots. Thanks for sharing.
Harsha

Chris amazing shots, wonderful behaivioural stuff. The fact that the head is removed from the snake, just plain amazing! Too cool and very well done. Wow, I learned something from this, thanks.

Tim

amazing shots Chris. Was that a rattler?

Very cool. I was just telling some of my students how hawks eat snakes. Nice story in these shots.
Jon

HI Christopher,

Great shots. Amazing and very cool to see. Thanks for sharing.

Great captures, and what a brave food source for the RTH to go after.

Chris,

all great shots - - but I have to say, my favorite is # 10. That's one I'd have as my desktop - - too funny a pose

Got to love a baby with a rattle....

Lil

Great series Chris, Now we all know "What's for dinner?" with Red-Tails. The rattlesnake series is truly amazing. What is the area where the RT's might have caught the snake ie, state,city, forest, park etc.

Awesome series Chris! Kudos

Gene

Just a fantastic series, Chris! How lucky you are indeed to have witnessed this for the past 3 years. I watched a Red-tailed nest on a building ledge in 2005 and had been waiting for their return, but the window-washers took the nest away earlier this year.. #6 is awesome.

Best Wishes,
Steve