Reliable

Featured Story: Reliable

Just after dawn, the air is chilly and damp. Dewdrops hang on the tall blades of grass.

She chirps constantly, urging him to find food.

He remains unmoved and stands stoically atop a tumbleweed alongside the nest. She chirps.

As the morning fog dissipates, he remains in place. She chirps.

When the sun warms the ground, he raises his wings. A powerful but silent downbeat displaces the leaves resting on the grass. She chirps.

Within minutes, he approaches the nest. A vole dangles from his talons. She looks up. He chirps.

Field Notes

Females are dominant in hawk society. When nestlings are present, there is a constant demand for food, hence the female in the story above constantly urging her mate to hunt. Yet, hawks often wait for the ground to warm to create thermals before they set off to fly any distance. That’s likely what this male northern harrier was waiting for. Of course, there is always the possibility this pair had a late night and the male just needed a bit of additional rest. 😊

Updates

I spent most of the month writing about the fox cubs I followed earlier this spring. I expect to publish some of these stories on my site in early 2026. A book may follow in spring 2026. Stay tuned.

The month of October was primarily dedicated to following an elegant tern colony and that focus will likely continue through early November.

In Case You Missed It

This month’s featured post Homeland Security: A pair of American avocets team up to protect their dwindling brood from an intruder.

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