The Owl and the Red Tail

Yesterday was a rather interesting day. It started off by our neighbor calling and saying she could see a baby Red Tailed Hawk in its nest high in one of her eucalyptus trees. This alone would be interesting. But, she also happens to have Great Horned Owls that live in those eucalyptus trees -- and nest there each year. A week ago she called to say one of the baby Owls fell out of its nest and broken its neck. The Great Horned Owl nest is about 20 feet off the ground, the Red Tail Hawk nest is about 80 feet off the ground -- in the very same tree. Anyway, I thought I would walk over a see if I could get a photo of the baby Red Tail. The wind last week had blown away much of the hawk's nest so the baby was partially visible. I took a couple of photos and left. About four hours later our neighbor called again. The baby Red Tailed Hawk had fallen out of its nest. So, again I walked over with my camera. The baby was on the grown and clearly visible so I took several photos. Sitting about 15 feet off the ground just above the baby hawk was the female Great Horned Owl. The male Great Horned Owl was a little further away but on the lookout for the female Red Tailed Hawk who was sitting on a telephone pole 100 feet constantly crying out. Periodically the mother hawk would fly into the eucalyptus trees momentarily to survey the situation. I stood close by why our neighbor called the Tucson Wildlife Center (a wildlife rescue organization). I felt that if we left the area the Great Horned Owl would kill the baby hawk. It was positively "Shakespearean." The rescue people finally came and took the little hawk with them. They felt it was unwise to leave it under the circumstances. They also wanted to hydrate the little guy, and do X-ray's on it's leg and shoulder (which appeared injured). We felt sorry for the mother hawk, but the chances of the baby surviving was slim if left in the wild. Here are some of those photos:

Baby Red Tailed Hawk in nest high in eucalyptus tree.

Baby Red Tailed Hawk after falling from the nest.

Here is the baby obviously disturbed by what has happened.

Here the baby has either gotten too tired to stand any more, or is a little more comfortable with us being around.

Here is the female Great Horned Owl watching very carefully what is going on.

Her is the mother Red Tailed Hawk watching from 100 feet away.

And, here is the mother nervously flying overhead not being able to help.