I have something new here that's unusual. I just did my final inspection for the evening and 4/5 babies were gaping. The fifth I thought was dead. It's in the nest with its head foreward and its feet pointing upward. I looked and it is still breathing. The parents have fed well today but these babies are so hungry! I'm wondering if maybe it has been poorly fed compared to the others. I have some experience w/ this. If a nestling is too weak it will gape w/o being able to cheep. If it's near dead it won't be able to gape or vocalize. Just concerning. Hope he's okay!

Doing the hokey-pokey of course. You put your left wing in, .... Sounds like it was trying to grab a snake that was not cooperating.

My 18 month old was playing in the front yard yesturday. I was about 15 feet from her. She was crouched on the ground playing with the grass. A hawk swooped down above her, about a foot and a half above her head, and then flew off. It scared both of us, we didn't even see it coming! I would guess it to be a Cooper's Hawk, and obviously a 25 pound toddler would be way too heavy, but it took a look anyways!! Christy

If a hawk is 'coming after you' then you've ventured WAY too close to their nest and/or nest tree. Heed their warnings and steer clear of their nesting area. In a little less than 2 weeks the fledglings will have flown and the hawks won't care where you walk or where you go. I actually have a video of a hawk perched on one of our bird baths in our yard. I was 10-12 feet away from it and just arrived home when it flew into the yard hunting birds. It didn't care that I was there and tucked one foot and got comfortable. Hawks ONLY care about humans when they're nesting and have young that haven't fledged, and also when humans are attacking them or frightening them (putting them on defense). Hawklets fledge quickly, so give it time when this happens and make a wide berth away from their nest and nest tree. When hawks are 'dive bombing' you... they're protecting their young and see you as a predator... which you are. Plain and simple they know we're at the top of the food chain and are doing their parental duty and protecting their babies. Also, hawks aren't the only ones who do this. Bluejays, mockingbirds, crows (crows and mockingbirds learn faces, so if you harm, scare or challenge them, or kill one of their own... they will NOT EVER forget what you did, nor will they forget your face). There's a documentary you can watch to see the studies done and see video of how they recognize faces and their reactions. "All monsters are human." Not only a true statement but it's one all wildlife knows.