Tax Commission Swainsons Hawks Update

["Steve Coleman" <scoleman at utah dot gov>]

Hi All

It has been a very exciting couple of months watching our friends share
with us setting up housekeeping and raising their young. I am very happy
to report that today between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. the remaining chick
took off. We were watching it on and off throughout the morning
concerned that something might be wrong with him (we expected him to
fledge last week).

On Tuesday the chick spent the day demolishing the nest and has spent
the last couple of days moving around the top of the tree.  Is this
behavior typical? The parents have continued to bring food and stand
watch from a short distance away and today while no one was watching he
took off. We haven't seen any sign of the parents or the newly fledged
hawk since 1:00 p.m. today.

As for the chick that was evicted from the nest a few weeks ago, I got
a report from the rehabor last Friday and he is doing well and expected
to be released to the wild in the next few weeks.

This has been a great experience for the people that work here at the
Tax Commission and has made a lot of people who previously had little to
no interest in this type of thing aware and concerned not only about
birds of prey but about our environment and nature in general. These
birds have touched many peoples lives. Most of the people here have seen
Pale Male on PBS and feel that our experience is very similar to the
people in New York watching Pale Male and his family.

There is a lot more meaning to watching birds than just watching birds.


Happy Birding 
Steve Coleman

_______________________________________________

"Utah Birds" web site: http://www.utahbirds.org
     Birdnet:
To subscribe, e-mail:  birdnet-subscribe@utahbirds.org
To unsubscribe, e-mail:  birdnet-unsubscribe@utahbirds.org
To send a message, e-mail:  birdnet@utahbirds.org
_________________________________________________