On June 29th, the owners of a campground in Hancock, Maryland discovered a nestling broad-winged hawk on the ground. Since the owners could locate neither the nest nor the parents, they called Owl Moon and we brought the baby hawk in for assessment and care. The nestling was slightly dehydrated but thankfully had no serious injuries. Broad-winged hawks typically breed in our forested areas before migrating to South America in the fall. Given the rarity of broad-winged hawks in our region, finding the nest was crucial to supporting the population.
We dispatched one of our most skilled nest-finding volunteers back to the original find location at the campground. Her efforts were rewarded when she successfully located the nest raising hopes of reuniting the nestling with its parents. With the urgency compounded by the approaching July 4th holiday, Comprehensive Tree Care Inc. generously offered assistance to facilitate the hawk's return on July 3rd. The position of the original nest was perilously situated above a road, so we installed a secure nest basket in a safer spot. Once the nestling was returned to the nest basket, a heartwarming reunion quickly ensued. Within minutes the parents appeared and responded to their young one's calls!
