I’ve started a new Manhattan Red-tailed Hawk Nest spreadsheet for 2017. It’s been too cold to venture up north for me to see how the upper Manhattan nests, so it’s missing any details for nest above 125th Street. If you have any input on these nests or news of any new nests, please drop me a note. Thanks.
The Fifth Avenue nest seems to have settled down now that it has eggs. Octavia was hunkered down while I visited and Pale Male just stayed near the nest. Let’s hope they do well through our Tuesday snowstorm.
My visit to Tompkins Square Park started off slowly. The male arrived and quietly sat on a branch looking for prey. But soon we saw three hawks, the pair and an intruder flying over head. After the intruder was chased off the pair made a trip to the top of the Christodora Apartments. Then they went out of sight. This nest is usually a few days behind Washington Square Park, so expect eggs next week.
The first overnight of the Washington Square Park female turned out to be a premature stay on the nest as she skipped at least the next two nights. While this is the first time I’ve seen a hawk spend a night on a nest and not return, I don’t think it is a cause for concern. Either Wednesday’s Peregrine battle or large protest in the park could have caused the female to feel a need to occupy/protect the nest for the night.
This evening, both hawks were very active and were being a couple by sharing perches and food. It looked like things were back to normal for late winter. I suspect brooding will start within a week.
Update 3/11/17: The first egg was seen on the nest Saturday afternoon around 1 p.m.
It appears that Octavia has started brooding. She spent last night on the nest as well as tonight. Pale Male sat on the nest after he brought Octavia a small rodent. So, it looks like we should have little ones in mid-April.
On International Women’s Day, which had a noisy demonstration in Washington Square Park, the female spent her first overnight of the year on the nest. The park was full of protesters when I arrived at the park tonight and I almost walked to Tompkins Square Park. Luckily, I decided to stay and watched a Red-tailed Hawk chase a Peregrine Falcon from One Fifth Avenue and went out of sight. Shortly thereafter the male was on the Judson Cross and the female was in the nest. She was still on the nest when I left the park at 7 p.m.
A hawk can start spending the night on the nest way before eggs are laid. It will be interesting to see how long it takes until we see the first egg.
Update 3/9/17: The female did not spend the night on the nest the next night. This is unusual, but given the Peregrine Falcon’s late appearance and the protesters in the park, she might have felt a need to protect the nest on Wednesday night. The next week should be interesting.
