They are about ready to fledge. Not far from us a couple of houses are under siege. A pair of red-tailed hawks build a nest in a tree right next to the deck. Not only does the deck get pretty messy, the owners of the house cannot use it, their next door neighbor had a vegetable garden and can't tend it and if they go out the front door, they have to defend themselves with rakes or anything else long, in order to get to the mailbox. They had the problem last year, were allowed to take down the nest after the chicks had left, but they rebuilt this year. They were advised to take down the tree. The owls have left the nest, the loon in Minnesota is still sitting on her eggs and the storks in Germany lost the last baby to hatch, but four was a bit much to raise, even three are hard to feed. A couple of Blue Jays think I am their foster mother and beg every time I go out. Young squirrels were also told to stay here and since 3 days a racoon spends his days sleeping in the big oak. Not to forget the Cardinal who sits twice a day on a dogwood branch next to the backdoor and sings for his peanut. How am I supposed to get any work done?

Boy, those are ACTIVE little babies, Alice! The one keeps flapping his "wings" until he falls over! The adult face is amazing! Almost looks like a primate from some angles! Fun to watch all the seemingly impossible ways they can turn their heads! At the Decorah eagle nest the first egg hatched yesterday and the second today. I haven't seen the babies yet. About the only time the adults get up off the chicks is at the Changing of The Guard and feeding time. Decorah is streamed by USTREAM too, and all the advertising is very disrupting! A few days ago I had Decorah on and they went to an obnoxious ad just as "something" was happening! By the time the ad was over the "something" was over too! Grrr! Skybird Here is a link that might be useful: Decorah Eagle Cam -- and more!

The young are yelling for their food. The adults still tend the young for a while after they are out of the nest. Be glad you have hawks they are efficent at keeping varmin, rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels in balance. The yelling will soon end when the young can fend for themselves.

How exciting for you! I felt the same way when we heard a loud tapping noise and spotted a Pileated Woodpecker in the front yard. Just like the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker!