I arrived at Washington Square Park to find one of the hawks on the nest. I suspect it is the new female, but I need to learn to tell these new hawks apart to be sure. The hawk was on the nest for about ten minutes before flying off. I didn’t relocate it or its mate. I’ll make some more visits over the next few weeks.
On Saturday, due to the mobbing of Bluejays and a Tufted Titmouse, I found a very well hidden Northern Saw-whet Owl. These birds are really hard to find and I was thrilled to be able to find one with the help of the mob! It was tucked deeply in the branches of a tree, and could only be seen from one narrow window.
Brooding continues at Cardinal Cooke. The male didn’t come to the nest while I was there but did perch on a tree up by the Compost Heap for about twenty minutes, before flying off to chase away another Red-tailed Hawk. There usually isn’t much going on before the eggs hatch, and that’s exactly what I saw.
The Eastern Coyote continues to be seen along the shore of The Lake in Central Park. I had an enjoyable afternoon watching her from the other side of a bay. She really is a beautiful animal.
I got an email for Ben Cacace yesterday about Red-tailed Hawk activity on the Upper East Side. He had seen hawks bringing twigs to a Con Edison smokestack at their steam plant that takes up the block of 74th to 75th Street between the FDR Drive and York Avenue.
I checked it out as soon as could. The hawks are using the middle ring of the three catwalks around the tower. It looks as though they have only just started to bring materials to the smokestack. The position of the potential nest is just a few degrees counter clockwise from the ladder on the west southwest side of the smokestack.
Sometimes hawks change nest locations at the last minute so this isn’t guaranteed to be the final nest location. But if they do end up using this spot, it will be a bit difficult to watch. The best view will be from the roofs of nearby apartment buildings.
It will also be an interesting summer if they do have a successful nest. John Jay seems like too small a park to bring up fledglings. It wonder if the territory includes part of Roosevelt Island, and if they will bring the fledglings across the river over sometime over the summer?
A. Potential Nest Site
B. Perch
C. Perch
D. John Jay Park
The Eastern Coyote was found using a cliff along The Lake as a den today. It was in a nicely protected spot away from people and dogs.
The animal slept most of the time, but a protest march, a very bad singer walking his dogs, and a hail storm did disturb the owl. Life in the Big Apple!
After it was dark, and much darker than when our owls fly out the Eastern Coyote quickly left and headed south. It was gone and out of sight within seconds.
