I had the opportunity today to band the nestlings at two different nests of Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis). Dawn did her Masters' research on these big, beautiful birds (in the desert south of Boise). But we live just west of their breeding range, and so it's been awhile since I've had the chance to get up close and personal with any. I was asked to band these as part of a monitoring project in Gilliam County. The parents were gorgeous (though, as defenders of their young they were pretty wimpy), and the five young all seemed to be healthy and growing. They're certainly one of my favorite hawks, and it was a real pleasure to see some today.
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