Our project began with our first trip up the tree in November. We wanted to have a look at the nest and see if there was a likely place to position the camera so as to get the best view. The tree in question is a 96-foot tall Canary Island Pine that is by far the tallest tree in the neighborhood and probably the tallest tree in Davis. From the top it certainly looks like there's nothing else that even comes close to the same height. The view from the top of the tree is truly incredible. Not only can you see most of Davis, but on a clear day you can see Mount Diablo(70 miles to the south), the Sutter Buttes(70 miles to the north), the Sacramento skyline, and the sierras beyond it(100 miles east).
Twenty-five feet from the top of the tree, the trunk splits into two leaders that continue pretty much straight up and stay fairly close together (they are only about 5 feet apart at the very top). The hawk nest was built in a triad of branches at the top of the eastern leader, and there was a corresponding triad at the top of the western leader(which is a little taller) a few feet above the nest, which was a perfect place to position the camera.
