Riverwood Cooper's Hawk Chicks

[Reuven_M]

1 fuzzy white head peeking out of the nest this afternoon  

[Bird Brain]

Awesome!    Thanks for posting this info.

[Reuven_M]

Mom feeding bloody hunks of something to two fluffy chicks this afternoon, I only watched for about 10 minutes because I have to bend at an awkward angle to see!
Indigo buntings singing continuously in the field right behind, plus pine warbler near Chappell house.

[Bird Brain]

Hi Reuven.  I'm thrilled to read about the 2 chicks sighting!    

I might have to visit Riverwood on Sunday.  

[BirdNerd]

Hi Reuven,
Where abouts is the nest?
I went to Riverwood tonight for the first time in years, and saw lots of great wildlife I did see a Cooper's Hawk at around 8:45 on one of the trails, but it was hunting, not hanging out near a nest...
I'd love to see it

-L

[Reuven_M]

From macewan house (near the art gallery), head down the main path, to the double row of big spruces. Turn left at the end of the spruces. Continue along, past the start of the fence on the right, until you come to a trail though the fence. Right at the base of this hill, look a little left a few metres above eye level, where the nest is in the crook of a maple. It may take a while to see it!

[BirdNerd]

Spiffy, thanks! I'll go check it out tomorrow

[BirdNerd]

Ok so no luck for me today...not 100% sure where to go from here:


According to your directions, I went left there and followed the gravel path until I saw an opening in the fence on my right...




Through that opening theres a short path (just a few paces) , then a rather steep, but short (just a few paces again) hill...is that the "base of the hill" you were talking about? At the base of that little hill there is a skinny tree (I didnt notice what kind) in the middle of the path, and if you turn left from there you go down another hill... When I hiked down further  I did see 2 Cooper's Hawks flying through the trees, then watched one land on a branch and eat something furry. I looked around and watched for a while but still didn't see a nest.

How deep into the woods should I be looking from the base of the hill you mentioned?

Thanks,
-L

[Reuven_M]

When there aren't so many leaves, the nest is visible from right where you were standing in the third picture! Go down the tiny hill just past your third picture, and look left a bit to try and see the nest. It is very hard to see at the moment. Try a bunch of different vantage points from right around there, the best spot is a bit to the right along the lower path, where there is a medium sized tree, with a rather bare, higher bit of ground on the other side of it. This is the only spot you can really see into the nest, but it is easier to find it a bit to the left of the tiny hill.
If I'm remembering correctly, the tree it is in is a maple with a split into two trunks about halfway up. The nest is in a crook of the left trunk.


I believe this the location of the nest, it is somewhere around there.

[BirdNerd]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh so I did have the right spot! Hopefully I'll be able to get out again tomorrow to look again. I probably didnt look as hard as I needed to because I wasnt sure that it was the place, and I'd spent the afternoon going to all the places that might have fit the description and then looking for every maple I could find...lol. By the time I found that spot I was half eaten by the bugs and dancing around in an attempt to hang on to the rest of my precious blood.

I did see several indigo buntings, and a ruby throated hummingbird though so the day was great anyway!

Thanks

[Bird Brain]

I was half eaten by the bugs and dancing around in an attempt to hang on to the rest of my precious blood.

Oh, crap!   :shock:   Thanks for the forewarning.   I'm planning to meet up with my mom there tomorrow morning.  She won't get one bite and I'll get totally eaten alive!

[BirdNerd]

They arent so bad when you're on the gravel path, but as soon as you step on the grass, or into the trees...commence slap dance  :shock:

[Bird Brain]

...commence slap dance  :shock:

 :lol:  Thanks for the great laugh, I'm going to remember this one!

[Reuven_M]

Not much to see today as mom had her back turned towards the viewing spot the whole morning (or at least each time I checked)

[BirdNerd]

Found it! And just counted 4 fluffy white faces popping up to partake in something furry and bloody
Awesome