Trying Again
A pair of White-tailed Kites has built a nest in a tall tree and at least three, possibly four chicks have hatched. At least one of them is big enough to start flapping its wings.
Flapping the wings is necessary practice and a good thing but it’s also scary. They’re not at all ready to fly. One wrong flap and the baby is out of the nest and on the ground. Last year when a pair of kites raised a brood of four, at least three and possibly all of them fell out of the nest and perished. Crows, which are numerous in and around the park, basically murdered at least one of them. See this and related posts.
The other good news in this video, besides the new brood of kites, is the abundance of bugs in the air. That doesn’t mean anything to the kites, but it’s important for almost every smaller bird. Few bugs means scarce food for birds; lots of bugs means fat and happy birds, well-fed hatchlings, a bumper crop of feathered newcomers. Fingers crossed.
Read more about White-tailed Kites in Chavez Park by clicking here. Read more elsewhere: Wikipedia Audubon Cornell
wow ! where is this nest?
Your lens is so powerful i think i could see a flea on them –though they probably don’t get fleas.
i enjoy these blogs so much!
i wonder when these chicks were born….don’t look super new.
thanks