Spring must really be on the way (even tho it snowed today) because we have been seeing baby birds at the bird feeder.  Yesterday a baby hawk was seen hopping around the pond, causing mass panic among the other birds and the squirrels.  That is, until they figured out the baby hawk hadn’t a clue. He was just out exploring and practicing his flying technique.

Last spring we had the honor of watching a mother hawk teaching her baby to fly in our front yard.  We watched his progress everyday.  The first day his mom kept demonstrating how to fly, but he could do no more that little jumps.  His technique progressed over several days until one day he was seen actually flying around.  At that time the squirrels, crows and other birds ignored him, he tried to catch the crows but couldn’t keep up with them.  Then we didn’t see him again, he became an actual predator I guess.

So this is our 2nd spring with a baby hawk in the yard, this one hasn’t figured out yet that he is supposed to catch other creatures, he is just interested in checking out his world and learning to fly.

Even I know hawks have to eat too, I don’t like what happens in the yard sometimes.  I used to go out and chase the hawks away, but now I don’t interfere, and let nature take it’s course.  Mother nature knows what she is doing.

Little hawk really blends in well with his background doesn’t he?

Our yard is like a little metropolis, If I pay attention, I can see that the birds behave like we do in many ways.  I see them fighting over occupancy of the bird houses, sometimes these fights go on for several days.  One moves in, he leaves to go to lunch, someone else moves his stuff out and moves in himself.  Repeat over and over.