Sidney’s famous red tailed hawk — who survived growing up in an eagle’s nest — got his very own day.
The Town of Sidney declared August 6, 2017 as “Bald Eagle Hawklet Day” in the community. That same day, members of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation planned a neighbourhood get-together to share the many stories, images and video about the hawk.
The hawk gained local, national and international fame after it was discovered in a large eagle’s next on Summerset Place in Sidney. Observers and wildlife experts estimated that it — and another baby hawk — had been taken from their nest by an eagle. They surmised that it was likely the young hawks were meant as food for the three young eagles in the nest.
One of the hawks didn’t survive (no one really knows its fate) but the one that did, displayed tenacity in begging the eagles for food and being bold enough to steal food away from its larger nest-mates.
Eagles and hawks, according to wildlife biologists, are not normally on friendly terms, which made the hawk’s survival all the more amazing, and of great interest to birders and the general public. The hawk, dubbed Spunky in some circles, has been extensively photographed and the subject of many videos, as its survival is seen as highly unusual.
The hawk managed to fly the coop before the young eagles and is now on its own for survival. Observers have been watching it when they can to see if acts like and eagle, or will be more like a hawk — eating like one of its own and staying away from other eagles, which might not cotton to the smaller raptor.
In the declaration, Sidney Mayor Steve Price stated “the little hawk and its eagle family have drawn many people and attracted international attention to the Town of Sidney as people watched this story unfold.”
A block party was scheduled for Aug. 6 to recognize this unusual event.
