June 17: Day 63
As spring turns into summer in California, the fledglings have left the nest behind. Nine weeks after hatching, the fledglings still depend on their parents for food and life lessons. Their calls still echo through the valley as they learn to live on their own; but in a few weeks they will depart the park to live off the land and air, and eventually to establish their own territories. I miss them and wish them well. Whenever I see a red-shouldered hawk (they are not uncommon in California) I wonder... did it hatch in Edgewood? The hawk's thoughts are its own.

June 3: Day 49
Although their flight skills have improved greatly, the fledgelings' focal point is still the nest. It's a good place to hang out on a warm day and wait for food. Here an adult drops a long-tailed rodent and departs. Fledgling 1 starts eating, using its wings to hold off a curious Fledgling 2. No such luck--Fledgling 2 barges in to dine, only to be knocked over by a hungry Fledgling 3. At this point the adult returns to sort things out--and finally is crowded out of its own nest by the whistling (begging) gang. That's what survival takes.

May 27: Day 42
The fledglings are starting to fly to trees 25-50 meters away from the nest. They're not too good at it yet; they're wobbly on landings, they make lots of noise, and they don't always hit what they aim at. Their long-term survival will depend on their flying skills, but they have time to learn. The adults are still nearby and will be the family hunters for several weeks yet.

May 21: Day 36
This nestling became a fledgling today, enjoying a few minutes of solitude in the nest tree. The fledgling is not too big to skip a meal from Mom; feeding at the nest will continue for several more days as all the nestlings take their first flights. They should fledge one by one over the next three days...

May 20: Day 35
Not quite yet...

May 13: Day 28
The nestlings' appetite keeps both parents out foraging now, and the roving hunter has no time to dawdle over the meal. Only a week from fledging, the nestlings grow rapidly; there isn't much room in the nest for Mom and four growing babies! Note how much difference a few days of age makes. Preening, eating, stretching, and sleeping are the principal activities of the nestlings; in a week, they'll add flying to the list.

May 7: Day 22
Sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for. The nestlings give a whistling begging call whenever Mom is passing out prey morsels. Mom does her best to tear prey into small pieces, but feeding time in a nest of hungry raptors just isn't a refined affair! There is always a mouth to fill; survival depends on having parents, and prey, to fill it.

May 1: Day 16
The expression "Eats like a bird" means something different to anyone who's really watched how birds live. With four gaping mouths to fill the adults can't afford to be picky. Snakes are an important part of the diet, along with rodents and amphibians. The nestlings can't tear meat yet, so Mom does the heavy work for an attentive audience.

April 28: Day 13
Spring has been unusually wet in the Bay Area, so nobody wants to miss some sunshine. The four nestlings appear well and food seems plentiful. Note one nestling appears substantially smaller than the others, but Mom makes sure it gets its share of food too.

April 22: Day 7
As it turns out, there are four nestlings! Four nestlings requires frequent refueling from the male partner, who hunts for both the nestlings and his mate. The female partner, sole defender of the chicks from both predators and elements, is fully occupied by nest duties.