A red-tailed hawk nest temporarily foiled WSDOT’s plans to repaint the Aurora Bridge.
“Though the birds are common to the area, it’s extremely rare for them to nest on bridges,” explains WSDOT’s Marqise Allen in a blog post.
When the birds built the nest in April, WSDOT contacted the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. The painting contractor proposed a work schedule that left the love birds alone, and Fish and Wildlife gave it the go ahead.
WSDOT says the egg hatched in May.
“The baby bird – which our contractor named Gerry – has already taken flight and left the nest for higher beams in the area,” Allen said. “It’ll stay near the nest for the next few months until it builds up enough strength to hunt and fly farther before moving on somewhere else.”