He suddenly swoops back up to gain a new position above her. The female at times may roll onto her back and extend her talons to meet him. It seems as the birds clash in midair as they may lock their talons and spiral down to the ground looking as if they will certainly hit the ground and at the last possible second swoops back up into the sky. This is repeated over and over again sometimes 6-10 times a day. A neighboring pair of hawks may join in the activities, but the immature birds are never permitted to join in the flight.
Hawks are quite bold when an intruder happens to come upon a female nesting.
She will circle the intruder and scream. This signals the male, who comes to her rescue and follows suit with circling and screaming. Both male and female will swoop down in a threatens manner if the intruder continues. The female is the adventurous one coming within a few feet of the intruder. A hawks nest is situated in mature trees at heights of 15-75 feet off the ground in a location that gives the incubating female a commanding view of the surrounding territory.