Sightings June 7 approachable Red-shouldered Hawks in Elmwood

There are a pair of unusually approachable Red-shouldered Hawks in Elmwood, hanging around the large ornamental bald cypress trees between the pair of Jeff Parish government buildings across Citrus from Home Depot (one is the Joe Yenni building).

They have nested there in the past, including a nest that was destroyed by inclement weather earlier this spring. 

Today one of the hawks was perched on the roof a black Nissan Altima (!), and then jumped to the ground and was walking around on the cut grass like a wanna be Secretary Bird*

It let me approach within about 20 feet, in my vehicle

A number of people who work in these buildings have been following the nesting cycles of this pair for at least a couple years now.

A photo of a Red-shouldered Hawk and notes on urban birds of prey in New Orleans can be found on p.50-51 and p.70-75 in Birding Made Easy-New Orleans.

Peter


*the Secretary Bird is an iconic raptor from the African Savanna, that strides about on its long legs hunting snakes.  The origin of the name is a feather that projects from the rear of the head, like a quill pen sticking from behind a secretary's ear.

for a copy of Birding Made Easy- New Orleans, email me at birding.made.easy.new.orleans@gmail.com.