One day, upon returning to the nest, he could not see the smaller chick. This one was much smaller, making him concerned that it would not survive, but over the next few days he managed to get photos of the adoptive siblings, including one of the eaglet perched on a branch above the nest, looking huge compared with the two eyas below. In early June, Gillard was even more surprised when he spotted another baby red-tailed hawk in the nest. Gillard was surprised to see the mother eagle deliver the hawk to the nest unharmed, as he had assumed she would feed it to her own offspring, and even posted a warning about potentially disturbing content next to his photos.īut about a week later, after hearing that bald eagles sometimes raise red-tailed hawks as their own, he returned to the nest and found the eyas was still alive, sitting right next to the much larger eaglet, which has brown feathers covering its head, typical of bald eagles younger than 4 or 5. In the photos he posted on Facebook, the raptor was clutching a downy white and gray baby hawk, or eyas, in its huge yellow talons as the baby bird opened its beak in a plaintive cry. The drama in the South Bay roost started on May 20, when Gillard happened to get shots of the female eagle he had been following as she flew overhead. Red-tailed hawks, which are much more abundant, have wingspans about half as wide and weigh only up to about 3 pounds.Ī mother eagle flaps her wings at her adopted young red-tailed hawk as she tries to feed it on June 13. The birds can have wingspans as wide as 8 feet and weigh 8 to 14 pounds. before bans on pesticides such as DDT and other protections helped the population recover. Despite being the national bird, bald eagles were at risk of extinction in the U.S. There have been reports of up to 50 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the greater Bay Area, and over the winter a pair were seen nesting in Alameda for the first time, followed by another unusual sighting at Lake Temescal in Oakland. Yet the fate of the baby hawk once it leaves the nest is still in doubt. “I’ve been there 12 to 15 hours a week since January watching the whole story.” “I’ve really been hooked on these eagles - I’ve watched them mate,” Gillard, a professor at Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, said after spending most of Friday watching the nest. One of the baby hawks didn’t survive the ordeal, but the other appears healthy and ready to leave the nest any time now, according to Doug Gillard, a semiprofessional bird photographer in Gilroy who caught the first baby hawk abduction on camera and will not disclose the birds’ location other than that it’s in Santa Clara County. Courtesy Doug Gillard Show More Show LessĪ pair of bald eagles have shocked and delighted bird watchers in the South Bay since late May ever since they adopted - or kidnapped - two baby red-tailed hawks and raised them alongside their own biological eaglet. The photographer declined to give the location in Santa Clara County to protect the birds. A pair of bald eagles have shocked and delighted bird watchers in the South Bay since late May ever since they adopted - or kidnapped - two baby red-tailed hawks and raised them alongside their own biological eaglet. Courtesy Doug Gillard Show More Show Less 2 of2Ī mother eagle helps tear up a squirrel and feed it to her adopted young red-tailed hawk on June 13. Shipped with sturdy cardboard backing in cellophane packaging.A female eagle carries a baby red-tailed hawk to her nest on May 20. Print will be ordered from a professional photo lab upon placing your order. If you choose 5 x 7, 8 x 10, 11 x 14 or 16 x 20, your image will be center cropped (the edges will be cropped out to make the image fit the space). Sizes: Image is photographed in an 8 x 12, 11 x 17 or 16 x 24 size format. If you don’t see it in the drop down order menu, please inquire. Sturdy 2 x 3 photo magnets and all occasion greeting cards may also be available. Many sizes available, but if you don’t see a size you want please send an inquiry to me at and I can easily add it. His wings are outstretched, showing exquisite detail under a deep blue sky during a winter raptor survey in the Columbia River Gorge.Ĭhoose photo printed on shiny, lightweight aluminum, signed by artist and ready to hang with wall mounting on back or Kodak Lustre paper with artist name printed on back. A Red-tailed Hawk in flight overhead near the Columbia River.
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