Urban Hawks

Tonight I got to see all of the Fifth Avenue family.  First the two still on the nest, including the one reluctant fledgling who came back.  Then Octavia who was on her favorite perch. With Lincoln Karim’s kind help, I saw the first fledgling who made some small flights on the “Woody Building”.  And finally, Pale Male getting ready to roost for the night.

The always crying second fledgling decided it wasn’t time and returned to the nest on Saturday afternoon.  It was still there on Sunday afternoon.  The Salute to Israel Day parade was in progress, which prevented the hawk watchers from hearing signs of the first fledgling.

A second eyass fledged from the Fifth Avenue nest today.  While I was in the park, it spent time on a balcony and then a window on the 8th floor of the nest building.  It loved to cry.  The first fledgling was in the park, and had a meal on the “feeding tree”, which was also used last year to feed the fledglings.  One eyass remains on the nest.

This morning one of the eyasses left the Fifth Avenue nest.  I caught up with the fledgling this evening where it was in trees below the nest inside the park.  The fledgling flew well, but as is typical for a bird just off the nest had issues landing.  It roosted in a safe spot a block north of the nest.

I never can predict when hawks will fledge.  The common wisdom is sometime around the Puerto Rican Day Parade (the Sunday after next) is the time the Fifth Avenue hawks will fledge.  But these hawks seem close to being ready.  Only time will tell!