Food Exchanges, Kite nests in OC, Spring 2010

I just went through my last years photos and found I had missed this one! It's amazing how fast this exchange happens. Probably 3 seconds between the first meet up with the fledge, and final exchange. You can miss it if you blink your eyes!

Three of the fledges see the parent coming with food, they are now fighting to get to it first. Sometimes she flew in a circle just to help them get it together and strengthen their wings.

An exchange with the baby. The concentration and speed is amazing to watch. She reaches to assist the young fledge. The young ones having the rufous chests.

Who's going to get there first...the fledge closest will turn and reach with his talons as mother reaches out with one talon with the mouse. This all happens in one second.

There is probably one second between this and the next exchange.

A chancy grab in mid air.

Precision grab. They dropped one later in the day.

Woops...it slips from the mothers talons, the babies leg being blocked by the parents tail. This all happens in a split second while in flight.

The meal is dropped midair. Parent was not happy and flew off.

Uh oh...the parent looks on, as the fledge can't come close to the meal after dropping it.

My favorite food exchange photo almost full frame. Alot of light, but I managed to get the mouse in on the action! Amazing to watch. It happens within 2 seconds, as soon as you hear them screeching, find the parent, and soon she will hand it off to one of the babies. I was lucky enough here to be fairly close. It all depends on how fast the babies catch up to her, which their skills get faster every day, so slowly it becomes impossible within 7 days to be in the right place for a photo.

A careful hand-over...my second favorite food exchange photo.

This one was amazing to me how they do it midair. The parents are getting them prepared to hunt with short flights after food. Then the hunting talent is learned nearby. One month later they had ventured on further away.

They get more aggressive as they improve. They chase each other for the food, soon hovering on their own and hunting. But they tune their skills by the chase of food, and playful fights.

Baby catches up with the parent...he will turn his talons towards hers all while in a free fall in flight for a split second..

The Fledges make rasping calls while going after their food. His sibling lost out on this dinner. They usually tuck it under their feathers so the other hawks don't come and take their food.

Fighting for the food exchange, mom makes them work hard to build up their strength..

Making sure the Fledge grasps it well before turning loose. They fly back to the nest to eat, and the others respect that, waiting patiently for their turn for a chance at it. Lighter version of another photo.

Rasping at the excitement of getting the prey from the parent.

At this point they are trying so hard to complete the food exchange and keep it hidden while manuevering back to the nest, very proud of their work.

Proud and concentration.

Obviously the fledge is confident to scratch his head in a free fall.

On the Kite trail, a little friend. Almost stepped on him! Be careful out there!

Young Kite early lessons on hovering for food search.

They making rasping noises throughout the feed. As soon as they see the mother flying, they start rasping. The race to her begins.

Young fledge, White Tailed Kite.

The rasping is loud now. It's the most amazing thing to watch, and hear.

Learning to hover.

They start their screeching when they leave the nest, all following each other to the parent. Only one wins the prize.