One of the interesting things about living in a town that is surrounded by farmland and open countryside is the interface between wildlife and human civilization. Familiar now are the local horned owl and barn owl calls as they set out to hunt for the night; raccoons peering in the back porch door; possums hurrying along the fence; the not-so-welcome rats and squirrels who seem to have the goal of consuming all my apricots and mandarins before I can pick them.  I treasure the first call of theSwainson's hawks returning from their long migration to their nest site nearby, then watching the parents calling to their young to encourage them to fly farther and soar higher each day before they begin the long migration south. These have all become part of the annual incidental wildlife rhythm of home. 

White tailed kite photo by Peg Smith

Occasionally, one gets to observe closely one of the beauties of nature, which is not so common. A couple of years ago, a pair of white-tailed kites, seemingly unperturbed by the children playing at the elementary school and the sometimes-busy traffic, chose a tree for their nest that allowed the neighborhood to watch and marvel. We saw the courting behavior where they would tangle talons together and fall through the air. We watched the steady collection of twigs as the nest grew in a position in the tree that to us seemed precarious. Nests are shallow cups about 21 inches wide in which a clutch of up to 4 eggs are laid in a cup lined with grass about 7 inches deep, 4 inches wide. Then the wait as the parents incubated the eggs for about 30 days with sorties for food. Eventually, we could see two fledglings with voracious appetites. Their ‘fluff' slowly transformed into adult plumage. As they tried out their wings and figured out how to use their tail feathers it looked as though any minute they would fall. Each day I would go and set up my camera as they seemed to be on the brink of flight. One morning watching I was lucky enough to capture the moment of first flight, the magic, the glory of nature and the beauty.

Be patient as you watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbKyajoDZac