My earlier blog posts on what I thought was a pair of red-tailed hawks elicited two interesting responses from followers. The first was from Caroline Ilse, a 2017 GDS graduate, Virginia Tech senior, and self-described "wildlife conservationist." After reading my post, Caroline correctly pointed out that our pair are Red-Shouldered Hawks, not Red-Tailed. She is absolutely right. I went online to bird identification sites, and the differences are real, if subtle. The Red-Shouldered Hawk has more mottling on its upper chest. The Red-Tailed Hawk has a whiter upper chest and a redder tail (hence its name). Thank you, Caroline, for setting me straight. At Gaston Day, we like accuracy and admitting our mistakes.
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was possible that the same pair of hawks had a territory that extended to her house on Robinson Road. Her house is probably three miles from Gaston Day the way the hawk flies. She has seen two hawks generally fitting the description of the Gaston Day pair flying around her property. So I told her to try to determine whether her pair were Red-Shouldered. If they are, then chances are they are the same birds.
Isn't it neat to think that Mrs. Davis may be connected to Gaston Day once again through our hawks?
Mrs. Davis, has anyone ever called you "legendary" before? If not, it is well deserved.
Finally, I have been watching carefully each morning to see which way the hawks enter campus. They are flying in from the southwest. So their nest must be somewhere on that edge of our property or farther toward the airport.
They still come to the flagpole almost every morning during carpool. Then they often fly down and alight either on the soccer goals or one of the posts behind the goals that support the backstop nets. Then after a few minutes, they take flight and abandon campus entirely for their hunting pursuits and parts unknown--maybe soaring over to Mrs. Davis's place.
Who knew that something so simple and beautiful could also be so absorbing?
(photo by Ian Greene)
