The Great Horned Owl was difficult to photograph today. There wasn’t a single angle to get a clear shot of the bird. At fly out, the owl landed on the rocks just north of the Castle. The bird then few east. It was unclear where it ended up.
Today, I caught up with one of two Red-shouldered Hawks that’s been in Central Park. This bird is in the same family, Buteo, as Red-tailed Hawks. We first saw the Red-shouldered Hawk at Turtle Pond. It then went just south of the Obelisk (a.k.a. Cleopatra’s Needle). After about twenty minutes it then went to Cedar Hill before we lost it. In searching for it we found Pale Male, America’s most famous Red-tailed Hawk. I’ve included him in the pictures so, you can compare these two species from the same family.
The Merlin that has been hanging around the Great Lawn this December, was eating what looked like a Tufted Titmouse this afternoon. It was fun to watch it fan its tail to help keep its balance while eating.
There were three Barred Owls reported in the Central Park today. This one looked to be enjoying the morning sun when I arrived. This Barred Owl amazes me in that it has been roosting in plain sight in one of the busiest sections of the park. Thousands of people walk by this owl every hour. Sadly, few people notice it.
On Friday was there was a Barred Owl out in the open just west of the Wildflower Meadow.
On Friday, there was a Northern Saw-whet Owl just south of the Recreation Center in the north end of the park. The two photos of the alarmed bird are when crows and a Red-tailed Hawk were nearby. We’ve really been blessed this fall with a great number of owls.
