The Fifth Avenue fledgling. who was returned to the park from rehab on Sunday, was found on Friday afternoon along Fifth Avenue just north of 85th Street. It drew a huge crowd as it perched near the sidewalk and eventually flew across 5th Avenue to the east side of the street.
It is hunting fine on its own, but I think all of us would love to see it move to higher perches and a more secluded, less trafficked section of the park.
I saw two hawks this evening, an young adult who’s been hanging around the park for a few weeks (light eye color with red tail), and then the youngster of Pale Male and Octavia who was returned to the park on Sunday after being nursed back to health by the Horvaths.
The juvenile was on the north side of the Met and then flew to the Ancient Playground (Yes that’s its name, as it is an Egyptian themed playground with a view of the Egyptian galleries at the Met.) It roosted there for the night.
I went to Governors Island for the afternoon, and did the typical tourist stuff. But I did get some great view of an American Kestrel. The ferry to the island is only $2 and runs through the last weekend in September.
Tonight was very much like last night with Pale Male hunting along the transverse. However, we had trouble keeping up with him and didn’t get to see him eat his late night snack. He kept crossing back and forth from the north to the south sides of the transverse, which while only a short flight for Pale Male, meant a long trip for those watching him each time he crossed. We all gave up after it had gotten too dark to see him after one too many trips.
This time of year, it’s not uncommon to see Pale Male hunting before going to roost up around the 85/86th Street Transverse. Tonight, he caught a rat near the south gate house of the reservoir and ate it in the east Pinetum. After his meal, he went to roost in a favorite spot in the Pinetum.
Pale Male was on one of his favorite trees this afternoon and into the early evening. The tree is on Cedar Hill in the high seventies on the east side of the park. Many hawk watchers call it the feeding tree because Pale Male uses it to leave food for his mates or fledglings, as well as a tree he himself eats in.
He’s molting, so he looks a little rough around the edges this time of year.
