Hawk Story Has Happy Ending In Plano

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Photo credit BrianEKushner

PLANO (1080 KRLD) - It's mission accomplished for a pair of red-tailed hawks that decided to expand their family in a Plano park.

As KRLD first reported in April, the nest of the protected birds was discovered at the top of a light pole that was scheduled to be removed from Carpenter Park North. At that point, crews decided to work around the hawks and leave the pole undisturbed. Plano Parks Services Manager Ron Smith said, "We figured that the best way to give that breeding pair every opportunity to successfully fledge their clutch was to leave them alone, so I think periodically, the contractor would send up a drone."

In mid-June, crews discovered the red-tailed hawks' nest was empty. Smith said, "And then, in early July, a juvenile red-tailed hawk was spotted in the trees at Carpenter Park."

Now that the family has grown and moved on, Smith said the City of Plano was granted permission to remove the light pole and continue the renovation project.

It's unknown if the hawks will remain in Plano, but Smith said their time in the park made for a great story.  "We were busy down below, but we did know in the back of our minds that every time we saw that pole, we were doing our part to make sure that breeding pair had every chance for success."​