Red-shouldered Hawks

I spent about 2 hours birding the neighborhood today, starting from my house and covering part of Lake Creek Trail. Near the end of Meadowheath I found a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks, a year-round resident species here. I saw another pair at the trail head parking lot off Braes Valley. Red-shouldered Hawks have not been very visible lately, but now they are starting to form pairs and build nests for the summer breeding season. If you've found a Red-shouldered Hawk nest in the neighborhood before, check on it soon. It might be in use again! (I took this photo in the same area back in November, 2008.)

By the footbridge I estimated over 200 Cedar Waxwings were flying around and sometimes perching in the tops of the trees. A Cooper's Hawk flew over, which might have been why they were so active.