Raptors Growing Up in Carrington, ND

Our visiting raptor babies went from white fuzzy balls of fluff to streamlined flyers in barely over a month's time. Now they're streaking through our neighborhood, testing out their flying and hunting skills. Mama and Papa are still watching over them.

I wonder if/when they will fly away together.

Falcons/Hawks Are Growing Up

Since I'm still not sure exactly what these youngsters are, I'm just going to call them raptors - since falcons and hawks are both raptors. Anyway, it is absolutely fascinating watching them get ready to fly. So far, they haven't left their nesting tree; however they are moving all around the top limbs, stretching out their wings and moving fairly rapidly from branch to branch. During the last storm with fierce winds, thunder and lightning, their mama and papa tucked them tightly back into their nest and stood guard on either side. Since the four youngsters are getting to be quite large, I'm amazed at how they all managed to fit into such a small space. Today they spent most of their time fluttering around the tree top branches, as well as eating the fresh meat that their parents brought to them continuously.

Raptor Babies Are Getting Ready To Fly

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Today when the wind came up, I was afraid that the falcon/hawk babies were going to blow out of their nest. They kept raising their wings and flapping them like they wanted to take off. However, their mother was watching them closely, so I don't think she would let them get very far.

The youngsters still look like big fluff-balls, with dark spots and streaks beginning to appear on their front feathers. They are starting to look more like adults, but their tails are little short stubby things.

Sometimes when the youngsters start moving around I can't tell their heads from their tails. Also, it's hard to see exactly how many babies there are. There are at least two, maybe three. Soon, there will not be room for mother and offspring to occupy the nest together.