Lovey-dovey behavior: Blakeman comments

Photo by Lincoln Karim
June 14, 2005

Below a note from Donna Browne to John Blakeman, referring to her Field Notes of June 15, and his response.

Hi John,

This evening, interesting nest behavior I'd not seen
at 927.

7:45 Junior from the W, circles, then to nest.
Charlotte lowers herself as he comes in. She stares
at his feet/prey. He continues to stand on spot, she
goes over very low between his feet and takes prey
with her beak and goes center of nest. Junior waits,
Charlotte leans over prey, rips off very small piece
and gives it to him beak to beak, he immediately flies
off nest.

I hate to be anthropomorphic but if I were, I'd say it
was pretty close to affectionate.

Sincerely,
Donna Browne



Donna,

To be a bit anthropomorphic, I'd too say that this
pair is "affectionate." It's not a lubby-dubby
smooching sort of thing, but I've seen this in other

wild pairs. It approaches, at least on the nest, the
pair bonding behaviors of mammals. It's so unlike the
natural, unmated psychological state of red-tails that
it's really noticed. You've got it right.

Sincerely,

John A. Blakeman