Spiral red tailed hawks question

[Debbie]

=) for my raptor enthusiast friends. This morning I was washing up and heard the distinctive red tailed hawk calls. I looked across the field and there was not one, but two hawks spiraling each other over the field. My brain remembers this is a particular pattern for them, but can't recall what it is exactly. Is it a hunting pattern? Are they mates? We had a female that raised her babies in our field across the lane, but I didn't see a male with her. I thought they mated in the spring? Are they just friends hanging out/hunting together?

Of course by the time I found my camera, got my boots back on and back outside, they'd gone still, they were beautiful to see.

[cadeby]

It does sound like mating behaviour where the male performs a show-off aerial display, diving down steeply, then flying back up to the female again. They often touch talons together too - awwhh.

But you'd think it was too late in the year for mating. Maybe they are just youngsters playing/practising or maybe an established pair keeping their bond alive???

Where's Ren when she's needed, lol

[Debbie]

LOL, well if that was wooing it was the fastest I've seen. They only appeared the once and that's it for spiralling. I have counted upwards of five red tailed hawks flying across our fields in the last month.

I still miss my tiny kestrels from back East, but I doubt they would have been happy living here. Too many bigger raptors, and they'd miss the big oak tree, but a part of me wishes they'd made the journey too.

[flintfootfilly]

I can't provide the answer. ALl I can say is that I sometimes see 5 buzzards above my arena (way above my arena!) and they are all circling round with each other mewing. It's really lovely to see and hear. Don't know if it's anything similar, and I don't really know why they do it. They seem quite sociable and chilled about it though (or at least that's how I think they are).

Sarah