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Red-tailed hawk observation



This evening at 6:00 pm, I was on my way home from town and a red-tailed hawk
swooped down low in front of my car.  He landed somewhere in front of the newly
built office condominiums at Willow Creek, Carrboro, off Jones Ferry Road.  I
quickly decided to check it out, turned into the empty lot, and located the hawk
on the side of a big deep ditch near the road.  I was able to watch for about 15
minutes from about 20 feet away. Slowly walking down the steep bank, his feet
sunk into the mud.  He went to the water's edge, and drank several times over a
5 minute period.  He dipped his beak into the water, and then tilted his head
back.  Once he flipped his beak around, splashing a bit of water.  Then he stood
looking around, pecked at an object on the ground a few times, and walked
half-way back up with his wings spread.  He took off and landed on top of a
light post [making a muddy mess on the nice new light fixture :-)], where he sat
for five more minutes, checking out the area. He finally took off to an oak tree
across the street near some apartments. Thought this was a neat observation, as
this is the first time I've actually watched a red-tailed hawk drink water.  The
temperature was reading over 100 degrees.  Plus it was the closest I've seen. 
The yellow near the beak and along the bill (top edge of the lower mandible?)
was beautiful.

Marsha Stephens
North Chatham County, NC
stephens@mail.fpg.unc.edu