Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey Archives - Page 3 of 44

June 7, 2024Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Riverside Church Action

I arrived at the church to absolute quiet. I didn’t see any of the falcons. But after about ten minutes, I got to see three young falcons on the nest, and then two food deliveries.

I also saw the parents try to get the fledglings to chase after them in order to get prey the parents were holding.

Much to my surprise I spotted a domestic pigeon on the church tower. I wasn’t the only one who spotted it. A parent went after the pigeon, missed getting it on the building but then gave chase. I wasn’t able to see the outcome, but I would don’t think it was positive for the pigeon.

June 5, 2024June 5, 2024Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Riverside Church Peregrine Falcons

After visiting the 102nd Street and Riverside Drive Red-tailed Hawk, I took the M5 bus up to Riverside Church. I was greeted by the sounds of five hungry Peregrine Falcons. One of the parents brought food just as I arrived and then two more times. All the prey looked to be feral Rock Pigeons.

After about thirty minutes, much to my surprise there was a fledgling on a lower level of the church tower at the same level as the roof. (It didn’t seem to be banded like the other young birds. Maybe it avoided capture earlier in the season.) At first I wasn’t sure if it was a fledgling or had just fallen out down from the nest but soon I saw it flying. It flew very well and went to a spot just below the nest.

The parents have a ledge where they prepare pigeons to be eaten by their offspring. They remove the wings and remove larger feathers. While a parent was doing this, the fledgling took the food from the adult.

The action should only get better later this week. When everyone has fledged there will be a few days of food exchanges and all kinds of fun. I would recommend making a visit if you live on the Upper West Side.

June 3, 2024June 3, 2024Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Darien Osprey

I was visiting friends in Darien, Connecticut and their Osprey nest had just hatched. This year was interesting because two new Osprey are trying to settle into the same cove. It was the first time I had seen another Osprey harass this pair. Osprey have now recovered so well from DDT, that in New England there is now contention for nestling locations.

I arrived on a Thursday, and I could see that the parent’s behavior had adjusted from brooding to rearing the young. The female was up higher than normal and I saw a feeding. But it wasn’t until Sunday that I saw a small head peaking up.

March 4, 2024March 5, 202486th and WEA Peregrine Falcons, 927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Northwest Central Park Hawks, San Remo/Pinetum/AMNH Red-tailed Hawks, TCC/MCNY Red-tailed Hawks

Spring Is Coming

Some updates:

The Peregrine Falcons at 86th and West End look to be doing fine. The male hunted for the female this afternoon, and they made an exchange of food above the Broad Nosh Bagel shop on Broadway. She ate the prey on the church tower ledge. I read her band number and it is 77/BV, so she’s the same female as previously. She is from Du Bois Library, at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she hatched and was banded in 2019.
The El Dorado Peregrine Falcon pair have been seen often. Where they have a scrape is unknown. Keep an eye and ear out for where it might be.
The Peregrine Falcons at Riverside Church are back after a year off for construction.
The Red-tailed Hawk pair, with a new nest in the Wild West Playground in Central Park at 93rd, just off Central Park West, has the female sitting on the nest. Female hawks sometimes sit on their nests a few days before they lay eggs, so we’ll have to watch some more to figure out what’s going on. Anyone with an apartment higher than the nest may have a great view.
The San Remo pair are back to building a nest high up on the towers again. And a raccoon is still using their old nest to sleep in.
Octavia has been seen often along Fifth Avenue around 77th Street in the afternoon, on window she and Pale Male used to share.

October 27, 2023Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

El Dorado Peregrine Falcon

I have been expecting to begin seeing Peregrine Falcons on the El Dorado in late October, and I saw one on Thursday. It was at the top of the north tower. If it’s like previous years, we should be seeing a pair through late winter, both on the building and in trees near the north gatehouse of the reservoir.

July 21, 2023July 21, 2023Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Extralimital

Steller’s Sea-Eagle, Day 2

On Thursday, we went out again on a whale watching tour, this time run by Trinity Eco-Tours.
The morning was very foggy. So, no whales sightings and we needed to hug the coastline. But, we saw over 80 Bald Eagles who had congregated on the shoreline to eat the spawning Capelin. Just before our tour was over, I spotted the Steller’s high on a cliff. We didn’t get much time with it, but I did get some nice photographs.