Christo gets ready to pounce...
Christo's talons appear to be stabbing Dora in the back, but a fellow hawk-watcher informed me that he curls his toes so she doesn't get hurt. All the wing-flapping is not so much showing off as it is trying to maintain balance.
Dora looks really thrilled.
Note how Christo's tail is swung way out to the side.
His curled talons are visible here.
You can see that Dora (on the right in both photos) is developing a brood patch – that dent on her chest – in preparation for sitting on eggs.
Here is some video of Christo and Dora mating, which was unfortunately shot on a dark cloudy day, but you can at least hear the sound (Christo shrieking) and see how long it takes. Spoiler: 6 whole seconds!
Urban Hawks also has some photos and video of Christo and Dora from this last weekend here and here.
See many more Christo and Dora mating photos here.
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