Making All of the Difference in the World~

I am beginning to think that I named my blog all wrong... True, the Red-Shouldered Hawks used this land a few times to raise their young. True, they hunt and breed upon this land, but... I know many of you were hoping along with me, that this just might be the year they return to the grove...they did not. It could have been any of hundreds of acres. Some very primitive, others where neighbors might just not care. For the past few years there were attempts made at a neighbors property down the lane. Until last season, each attempt ended in tragedy, due to the Raccoon population. Last year I met with those neighbors and together we pinned eight trees, using sheets of under pending, cut and nailed around the nest tree tuck, as well as any tree that has reaching arms to touch the nest tree. I truly believe it is that one factor that makes all of the difference, if you will have a successful nest. This afternoon, my friend Judy rang me up to let me know that the same tree used last year, the one where the Gray Squirrel tried to peek over the nest and the female adult hawk in trying to get rid of invader, knocked down the nesting material. The pair has begun to build a new nest a wee bit above where the one was last year. We are going to wait a few days, make sure they stay and then once again pen the same trees after the sun goes down.  The paler hawk is the male, and the richer in colour the female.  In between is one of them just before they grabbed each others talons to tumble in their mating flight dance.  I could not capture the actual tumble, as it was behind acres of tree line~