​FORB members Robert and Lyvonne have been sharing their informal monitoring a Swainson's hawk nest in the midtown neighborhood this summer. The location has surprised all as the parents go about raising a chick in such a busy urban area. Nearby American River Parkway/Sutter's Landing Park foraging habitat contribute to this special sighting! This has made for great opportunities to come out for a closer look using our spotting scope while not disturbing the birds. The chick still occupies this nest but should be fledging and starting out on its own very soon. This has been a great learning experience for all and a perfect followup to the FORB event last month that welcomed Swainson's hawks back to Sutter's Landing Park and the lower American River Parkway again. Some notes and photographs from these recent neighborhood experiences follow:


As of Tuesday evening July 18, the Swainsons Hawk family of “three” appeared to be doing well and the youngster has begun to tryout its flight muscles! During the time we were there with a few local neighbors, the mother spent all her time off the nest, perched at the tree top on lookout.

At about dusk, dad flew onto the nest with two crows in hot pursuit! He barely landed but he might’ve dropped off food for the youngster, because we could see it trying to swallow something laster. Dad flew away from the nest as the crowns continued after him. While all this was happening mom never left her perch. Later more crows flew by on their evening rout to roost overnight down town, but they didn’t cause any trouble to the youngster.

We plan to return to our setup spot close to the alley on 20th St. between F & G on Thursday, July 20 about 7:00. We’ll have the spotting scope setup as neighbors and passerby's continue to watch this story unfold in the tall old Midtown Redwood tree.
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7/31/17
Several photos on 7/29 document the chick is now perching on nearby branches and might fledge  the nest this week. Maybe a friendly lottery on which day? 😉

Thanks to these ambassador birds for bringing more of our neighbors together and this update provided by Whitney who lives in eye sight of the nest, is much appreciated and welcomed.

Your FORB Neighbors
Lyvonne’ & Robert 
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(Further viewing opportunities are likely, stay tuned!)


(followup discussion with Raptor Center staff)

Hi Robert,
Thank you for the update! Looks like the youngster's flight feathers are completely grown in. Assuming SWHA grow comparably to Red-tailed Hawks, this one is probably between 35-40 days old. First flight should happen sometime within a week, according to the literature (which suggests they tend to start flying between days 38-46). We'll see how it goes!
Thanks and best,

Julie Cotton
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
California Raptor Center
University of California Davis

💥 Yes, but a big success over last year!
Have you recorded a successful nesting in the grid?

💥 Yes but some branching images might add more interest.
As you can see it's tough getting a good sight line into the nest.
Why?

💥 Yes, we’ve had as many as twenty neighbors and passerby’s stop and look through the scope be amazed!

💥 Many have come to know their neighbors and can now go to FORB's website and connect with this special event!

Thanks R&L

💥 (Watch for a future report on this nest soon!)

The original 2017 "Welcome the Swainson's Hawks back to Sutter's Landing Park" event was to be held in April, a normal time for this popular FORB event. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we had to reschedule for later in the summer near the end of the nesting season for this very popular and still threatened raptor species. Once again the California Raptor Center from UC Davis came through and brought two very special "ambassador" Swainson's hawks, "Grasshopper" and "Whistler" delighted the small crown that braved July heat to appreciate and learn more about this amazing species. These and other raptors can be seen at the Raptor Center in Davis where much good work is done to protect, educate, and rehabilitate native wild raptors. Some birds can't be returned to the wild due to health or behavioral reasons but they are well cared for at the Raptor Center and can contribute to better understanding and appreciating these special birds. 
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Among the many facts that were shared is that the species is doing somewhat better in California now but still suffer from a lack of good foraging and nesting habitat and a number of Swainson's hawks and other native raptors are brought in to the Raptor Center each year due to injuries from humans and otherwise. Among the many examples of ongoing problems for the species is a new "mitigation" site proposed adjacent to increasingly busy Sacramento Airport where there will be a risk of increased mortality from collisions with air craft. During this event several wild raptors were seen foraging on the former landfill mound and nearby American River Parkway including a pair of Kestrels, a Red-tailed hawk, a Turkey vulture, and a Swainson's hawk that could have been one of several pair being monitored by FORB volunteers this season. A very good day indeed.
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(Photos by Robert Sewell unless otherwise labeled.)