I have not updated people on Buzz and Ruby because Julie and I were away in southeastern Arizona for 10 days, where we had killer views of Elegant Trogon, discovered a Cooper's Hawk nest, a Swainson's Hawk nest, saw several Gray Hawks, and had several Zone-tailed Hawks, including one soaring low over us. We also saw a modest number of Red-tailed Hawks, as all the hawks are nesting now and all the wintering hawks have moved north.

On returning home from Logan late yesterday afternoon, I went over to Fawcett where I appreciated more than ever how truly beautiful Ruby is. What a gorgeous, gorgeous hawk. When I arrived she was tugging at food, tearing it up for the kids, who were sitting out of sight eating. She then sat down and looked at me. One puffball stood up and started flapping wings as though ready to take off. I was shocked at how large the kid is, how long the "little" wings are, and how large and intense the black eyes are. The ageing parent in me came out. "That kid is way too high up in the nest, walking on the inside edge, when it can hardly walk. Ruby, get that kid off there!" Ruby just sat watching, as the toddler toddled south to north, looking out over all that is beautiful and interesting on north Fawcett Street. Remember, everything this little ball of fluff sees is new and interesting. A second puffball bobbled along much lower, following what I presume is its older sibling. Ruby sat there looking down, with obvious pride and affection at these kids and began ever so gently preening the top of the head of her eldest. This kid is too young, its legs too large and awkward, to be able to reach and scratch its crown. Forget what anyone might say. You can tell when hawks are happy, and Ruby looked very content and happy looking down on her literal brood. I did not see Buzz, but there was obviously ample food in the larder.

Friday evening, Susan Moses reported seeing a third chick's head, so Ruby has produced at least three chicks once again, and they are adorable. (More adorable in person than those puff balls you see on webcams.) These are kids where we know and love the parents, and we get to follow them for months after they fledge. Where we get to recognize their distinct, individual personalities.

Right now the largest kid is all down, without any evidence of incoming feather tracts. We know this kid is over two weeks old. I'll write more on likely ages (in days) later.

The best time to see the nest and chicks is in the afternoon and evening, when the sunlight is over your shoulder onto the nest, from around 87 Fawcett Street. Construction work generally ends around 4 pm weekdays, so everything is quieter, and it is far easier to find a parking spot on Fawcett in late afternoon and early evening. Weekends are especially nice. (Realize, we have only 4 or at most 5 weekends before these kids should fledge!) Look for the line of pine trees, with the nest near the top of the tallest pine on the right of the cluster. Ruby is often obvious now, sitting up. A scope is really essential to see the kids fairly well. I will be there in late afternoon most weekend days to observe, so if you don't have a scope but want to see the kids, email me and we can make arrangements to look together in late afternoon (after 5).

There is a bit of culture shock here for me. For several days Julie and I sat for hours in a high, relatively lush mountain canyon looking for trogons and any other bird life. We saw a lot of spectacular birds, but no trogons there. We then spent three days primarily in another high canyon in another mountain range, lined with gorgeous sycamores, where we saw few people, and such birds as Crescent-breasted Warbler, a spectacular Red-faced Warbler, lots of Townsend's Warblers, and finally a truly Elegant Trogon. It was somewhat more bucolic than Fawcett Street, but Fawcett Street is where Buzz, Ruby and three kids live, and where many hearts are also.

Best,

Paul


Paul M. Roberts
Medford, MA
phawk254@comcast.net