A new Red-tailed Hawk appeared in Alta Plaza this week. I was alerted by the SFBird list and made my way to the park today to see if it was still around.After photographing the hummingbirds for awhile, I saw a hawk-like shape dropping to the ground across the park and ran over to investigate. I found this young unbanded RTH searching for food.
He seemed hungry and made many trips to the ground, and took his time while there. I suspect that his gopher hunting skills aren't up to par and he is supplementing his diet with worms and caterpillars. On five separate occasions he swooped down only to pick up a worm and then return to a higher vantage point.
He does have a curious penchant for landing on power lines and the thinnest branches of trees and should soon learn to save energy by finding more stable perches - the wind made staying balanced a tricky proposition.
One of his searching flights into the pines scared out a diminutive falcon. It was the first time I'd ever seen a Merlin in Alta Plaza. Quite a moment.
Later on a Sharp-shinned Hawk came in low across the tennis courts seeking songbirds. It was actively hunting and set out after some finches after a five minute rest.
A great afternoon in the park. I'll check back regularly and hopefully we can watch another young Red-tail grow-up in our midst.
For images of the last hawk to grow up in Alta plaza CLICK HERE
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