Tompkins Square Park Nest
While it has clearly hatched, the nest is very hard to “spy on”. My visit on Thursday continued to confirm feedings but I was unable to see any eyasses. Hopefully, they’ll be big enough to see in a few days.
Savannah Sparrows
Thanks to a Tompkins Square Park Birder’s great spotting, I got to watch a group of migrating Savannah Sparrows in the park on Thursday evening. It was a nice surprise in foggy weather.
Barred Owl
The surprise of the day was a Barred Owl in the Ramble of Central Park. It’s an unusual bird for the park, especially in the springtime. It was not welcomed by the Blue Jays, who gave it an amazingly hard time. At dusk it began to hunt and was fascinated by a tree cavity. I wonder what it was after?
Indigo Buntings
Central Park had two Indigo Buntings stopping in the park during their migration today. They were filling up on grass seed just south of Sparrow Rock.
Washington Square
I got to watch two feedings from the female, and also got to see Bobby visit the nest and a few perches in Washington Square this evening.
It looks like the last egg will not be hatching at Washington Square. While this is better than last year, when two eggs didn’t hatch and the only eyass had issues with feather growth, it brings into question the health of the environment around NYU. While the park has removed rodenticides, they are still used by the University and other building owners around the park. While many of us has focused on hawk deaths due to secondary rodenticides, fertility problems are also a major problem with these poisons. I’m afraid we might be seeing this issue at Washington Square Park.
Update 4-26-17: The youngest eyass on the nest died within the last 48 hours. Cause of death unknown.
2017 Nest Update 4
Updates:
- The Gorman Park Nest is brooding. The female has been seen sitting on the nest
- Although the J. Hood Wright Park nest is listed as not having hatched, it most likely has hatched but gone detected just yet.
- It looks unlikely that the 3rd egg at Washington Square Park will hatch.
As always, please email me if you have any updates for this chart.
