Red-tails in Love on Capitol Hill

A pair of Red-tailed Hawks has taken up residence at the House Rayburn Building and built a nest on one of its ledges. Our own Peter Vankevich heard about and photographed the hawks at their nest site in April. This morning the Washington Post featured an interview with Peter at the nest site.

Peter Vankevich heard about the birds a few weeks ago, a pair of red-tailed hawks that had made their nest in the pediment above the entrance to the Rayburn House Office Building, right under the watchful eye of a carved stone eagle. As the author of a monthly bird-watching column in the Hill Rag, he hustled over to see them.

On this particular weekday morning, Peter has his bazooka-like camera lens trained on the nest, only the edge of which is visible from Independence Avenue. He's not sure we'll see the hawks today.

"It's a bit like fishing," he says of birding. The fish aren't biting.

Peter wrote about the hawk nest in the June 2009 edition of the Hill Rag. This appears to be a late breeding attempt since the hawks were observed carrying sticks to the nest in May; most red-tails commence breeding in March or April. No chicks or eggs are visible from street level.

Below are a few of Peter's photographs of the hawks. Click through to see larger versions.

Hawk on the Ledge: Red-tailed Hawk at its nest on the House Rayburn BuildingHawk Carrying a Stick: A Red-tailed Hawk carries a stick to its nest on the House Rayburn Building.Red-tail with a Stick: A Red-tailed Hawk carrying a stick at the House Rayburn Building.