Mum Goss will probably give the nest a thorough cleaning once her babies have flown away for good. But right now, I'll bet it's a part of her strategy. You know, leave the kids some PB & J and let them make their own sammiches?

Feedings have become fewer and further between. There is still food on the nest, but the young hawks have to work to eat it. And that's the point, all part of the parental strategy.

All three were ready for the food drop today, and one grabbed it with impressive mantling. Then there was another food drop, and the same youngster left his meal and mantled over the new serving. He then hobbled over, dragging the food, so that he had both servings! Seeing this, Goss walked all the way around him, diverting his attention, and taking one of the meals back, which he fed to the chicks.

After their meal, two of the young hawks flew out to branches beyond the nest, while the third remained behind, picking over the leftovers for a long time.

I watched a big food fight Saturday between 2 of the Goss kids. One had a big meal going on the nest. I don't know who brought the food in though. Lots of screaming going on between 2 of the kids, the one you see eating and one off camera that we can't see in the beginning. I recorded the fight but the video has no sound, you'll have to do your own sound effects. LOL The attacker got the food and ran the first one off the nest. Goss kids do not play well with each other when they are hungry.

I copied some interesting info from the Goshawk chat. Alex B seems to be the guy "in the know" there. Read from bottom up.


From:AlexB

16:33


23/06/2013
Must be a good amount of squirrels in the area, get worried seeing so many being caught as it only takes a small bite in the right place from a squirrel for a Hawk to be permanently disabled.
From:dionysusmike

08:23


23/06/2013
Last night's fresh squirrel is now almost completely eaten. I can hear goshawk eyas mewing calls in the background away from the nest tree. A bit breezy today
From:dionysusmike

22:02


22/06/2013
After an afternoon and early evening of magnificent mantling and munching by the eyasses, the nest is now deserted. A squirrel was dropped in by an adult (I think, not sure). Also not sure whether "Little" was allowed to feed at all - think he was chased away a few minutes ago from the latest squirrel by a female.
From:dionysusmike

09:31


22/06/2013
Lovely sight, to see the goshawk eyasses on the branches.
From:ericcenco

08:13


22/06/2013
poor little, the 2 siblings wont let it eat, for the last hour they have stripped the meal to the bones while little looks on.
From:AlexB

17:51

AlexB
21/06/2013
Yes very common in the later stages of rearing, and not uncommon for a female parent to kill the male. The difference is Goshawks rarely create a bonded pair unlike other Birds of prey, males have to be very careful early in the spring that they do not push their luck as many inexperienced males will get killed by females. whereas if you look at Ospreys for example many pairs have bred for several years if not more so they go through a much easier courtship and will usually see out the rearing together.
From:dionysusmike

17:42


21/06/2013
To AlexB:

Is it typical of the female to be so intolerant of the presence of the male on or around the nest, chasing him away immediately after he has dropped a kill?
In contrast, e.g., the female osprey is most gentle with the male when he has delivered a fish, gently nudging him aside to take it from him, and allowing him to stay and adjust the nest sticks.
From:AlexB

17:02

From AlexB
21/06/2013
With the ages of the eyass's now the parents will start to try and move them further from the nest and the parents will will spend less and less time around the nest until one day off they will go and the kids are on their own. Sadly approximately 60% of the young birds won't see through their first winter, not just survival of the fittest but nearer the fastest.

Loved watching the young progress in their natural environment, I have flown a good few Goshawks both parent reared and birds I have imprinted myself and its amazing to see like for like behaviour with the young in the nest and many of the imprints i have raised.
From:dionysusmike

16:43


21/06/2013
To AlexB:
Many thanks for the detailed explanation. It is a surprise for me to learn that the parents are still in the vicinity of the nest, since they have been virtually invisible for 3-4 days and the two smaller youngsters are clearly hungry, if their mewing may be taken into account.
From:AlexB

15:35

From Alex B
21/06/2013
On the pint of the youngest not hunting, it is unlikely all of the sibblings are actively hunting, mum n dad will be catching and releasing prey near to the young for them to practice on, none of the young are near hard penned (feathers fully developed and dry) so long distance chases etc will be out of the question as yet. Males will be hard penned at around 55 to 60 days and females around 60 to 65 days. The parents will slowly but surely give easy kills further and further from the nest and eventually the young will become hunters in their own right. So that by 65 to 70 days the parents will chase them out of their territory with males going first and quickest as they can and often become a meal for their larger and more aggressive sisters.

Wow, Patti. This is amazing. I didn't know that the males are often "offed" by sisters and mates. I guess that is one way of keeping the population in check?

When I tuned in to watch the New Forest today, a lone eyas goshawk was dining on a squirrel on the nest. S/he mantled continuously as the meal progressed, with siblings squealing from nearby branches. Just when I thought the eyas was going to eat the whole squirrel, another young hawk flew down with fierce wing displays and took over the meal.