Red-Tailed Hawks Getting Ready To Fly

Young red-tailed hawk nearly airborne, 3 June 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)
Young red-tailed hawk nearly airborne, 3 June 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)

The Pitt peregrines have flown. The young red-tailed hawks in Schenley Park are getting ready to go. Here are photos of their recent activity by Gregory Diskin.

The youngsters are fully feathered now, ledge walking and wing exercising.  On June 3, one of them flapped so hard he was nearly airborne.

Young red-tailed hawk exercising his wings, 3 June 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)
Young red-tailed hawk exercising his wings, 3 June 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)

When they aren’t busy exercising, they gaze at their parents who often perch in a large sycamore tree across the way.

Young red-tailed hawks in Schenley Park, almost ready to fly, 2 June 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)
Young red-tailed hawks in Schenley Park, almost ready to fly, 2 June 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)

And they watch intensely as their parents fly.  “So that’s how it’s done.”

Red-tailed hawk takes off from the nest as a chick watches, 30 May 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)
Red-tailed hawk takes off from the nest as a chick watches, 30 May 2018 (photo by Gregory Diskin)

For more photos of the hawk family’s progress, click here to see Gregory Diskin’s album.

 

(photos by Gregory Diskin)

4 thoughts on “Red-Tailed Hawks Getting Ready To Fly

  1. From what vantage point were the fabulous red tail photos taken? Where would one go to see these chicks in Schenley Park?

    1. Betty, Gregory Diskin’s camera is a super-zoom model so his photos show you things you’ll never see in real life. I have tried various vantage points myself and even with binoculars it’s not possible to see this, especially because leaves now obscure everything.
      There is another red-tailed hawks’ nest that easy to see quite well with a birding scope and you can drive right up to the viewing area at The Waterfront shopping mall. It’s on the Homestead Grays Bridge in the superstructure above the center-of-the river bridge abutment. Park behind & to the right of the Red Robin at The Waterfront.

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