This beautiful hawk and friend visited our garden yesterday morning. When I looked out of our kitchen window, it was sitting on the back fence just looking around. After a while, it dropped down into the grass, hopped around for a second or two and with a leap was back onto the top of the fence. We watched this early morning display from our kitchen window … but somewhere between looking out the window and pouring myself a cup of tea, another bird appeared on the fence. I don’t know if bird #2 was on the ground and #1 went down to give it moral support and encourage it come up and see the world from the fence top or if it flew in from somewhere else.
We don’t know what type of hawk this is and would like it identified if you know. Thanks to images on Google we think it might be a Groshawk or possibly a red-tailed hawk. Bird #2 seems to have a lot of fluffy feathers…...it may be a fledgling and is just learning to fly. Bird #1 could be a parent or even a sibling. 
We watched them for about 15 minutes and then decided to get closer for better photos. I walked to about 15 feet from the fence and the smaller bird #2, took off. It had very large wings, easily 3 feet or more from tip to tip. It flapped it’s wings several times and glided to a tall tree in another yard. Bird #1 sat patiently while I snapped a few more photos, then raised up, flapped it’s wings and took off, landing next to it’s friend on the neighboring tree.
The next morning, I went out to get our newspaper, and there sat bird #1 on the fence again. It stayed for a half hour or so, and then flew away….probably never to visit us again. But we enjoyed the visit…and wonder if there is a nest (probably a really big one) somewhere in the neighborhood. Also made a mental note to keep an eye on Fred, our cocker spaniel and Oakley, our granddaughter Jennifer’s little Westmoreland Terrier when we babysit her next week. The birds may have a problem getting chunky ole Fred off the ground, but Oakley would be a prime target.
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