Urban Hawks

July 6, 2019December 27, 2020Other Birds

Common Terns

Thanks to the work of NYC Audubon and its partners, two piers on the Eastern shore of Governors Island have become a flourishing Common Tern nesting site. Currently, there are lots of chicks running around on the piers, and if you’re patient you can watch them get fed. If you’re interested in the terns, NYC Audubon with its partners is hosting the Sixth Annual “It’s Your Tern!” Festival on July 13th from Noon until 4 p.m. on the island. Details are on the NYC Audubon website. (If you take the ferry before noon on the weekends, it’s free.)

July 6, 2019December 27, 2020Other Birds

Governors Island Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Nest Quintuplets

The Governors Island Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron nest quintuplets were easier to count today, with all five showing together often. They all engaged in Gular Fluttering together to cool down in the hot weather at one point too. They were fun to watch. I’ve learned that in most years the number of young in the Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron nests on Governors Island have been lower, so five is unusual for the island.

July 3, 2019December 27, 2020Other Birds

Governors Island Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Nest

Governors Island has hosted Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron nests over the last few years. This year the island has one successful nest with five chicks.

What was interesting to observe today was two immature birds hanging around the nest. One immature bird was on a branch near the nest when I arrived and another was on the nest. When a mature adult arrived later, the immature bird left the nest and the adult fed the young by regurgitating into the middle of the nest.

July 2, 2019December 22, 2020St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

St John the Divine’s South Side

The fledgling explored the southern side of the Cathedral this afternoon. When I arrived I found the fledgling above St. James the Less with fuller’s club (indicating manner of his martyrdom), and St. Philip with Latin cross (symbol of his crucifixion). The fledgling then took a bath in a gutter. Soon afterwards it flew to a decorative spire in the gardens. When it saw a parent, it flew back to the Cathedral before flying to the south tower. Later it flew back to the rear of the church. It was nice to see the fledgling doing so well.

June 26, 2019December 22, 2020Washington Sq. Red-tailed Hawks

Fledgling’s Second Day Back

The fledgling that has just been returned to the Washington Square Park was seen around 4th Street and Mercer most of the day. The earliest report I saw was 10 am and there was a report it roosted in a tree there tonight. It was on the ground briefly at 3 pm, which caused some alarm.

I arrived around 4 pm, and first saw the new male, and then the mother, on a building a between Broadway and Mercer about 20 stories up. Then some American Robins alerted me to where the fledgling was, on a street lamp, tucked inside a tree. After about an hour the fledgling started branching on the tree to a more comfortable spot. By then both adults were nowhere to be seen.

June 25, 2019December 17, 2020Washington Sq. Red-tailed Hawks

Another Washington Square Park Fledgling Returned

The fledgling found in a light well behind 15 Washington Place, was returned to Washington Square Park today. Bobby Horvath and Cathy St. Pierre took great care of it at WINORR. It was banded on the right leg. (The previously released bird was banded on the left leg.)

The released bird was very energetic, moving quickly from branch to branch, before changing trees. It then flew a full block south to 3rd Street. I had to leave the park around 1:30.

The Rogerpaw.com blog has coverage of what happened later in the day. It will be interesting to see how things work out over the next few days.