Urban Hawks

February 22, 2015December 24, 2020Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

High Above Tompkins Square Park

On early Sunday afternoon, I arrived at Tompkins Square Park to find the two adults circling just east of the park. They circled and circled, getting higher and higher until they joined at least two other Red-tailed Hawks and what looked like another species of raptor. The Red-tailed Hawks escorted out the intruder.

When it was over the two Tompkins Square Park hawks returned and they seemed to be escorting a pair of Red-tailed Hawks to move further north. My interpretation of the events was that the pair of hawks seen frequently in Stuyvesant Town may have been chasing an intruder, gotten support from the TSP Pair, but once the intruder was safely escorted out of both pairs territories, the Stuyvesant Town hawks had to be chased back to their territory.

February 21, 2015December 24, 2020Washington Sq. Red-tailed Hawks

Washington Square Park

Just before the snow started today, I was able to watch the new female. She was briefly on the nest and spent some time on a chimney on 3rd Street. The male was on the cross for about twenty minutes.

The video is rather long, but I wanted to let folks have a chance to study the new female’s markings.

February 17, 2015December 24, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk in the Pinetum

Winter brings a lot of juvenile Red-tailed Hawks into Central Park. This one looked great in the sunny weather on Sunday.

February 17, 2015December 24, 2020Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Extralimital, Owls

Gyrfalcon and Short-eared Owl

I went up to Ulster County, NY to see the Gyrfalcon that has around for a few weeks. The bird, which depending on the day has been easy to find or hard to find, was very cooperative today.

In addition to the Gyrfalcon, I was able to photograph a Short-eared Owl. Definitely worth driving for four hours!

February 14, 2015December 24, 2020Washington Sq. Red-tailed Hawks

More Washington Square Park

I got up early on a Saturday to visit Washington Square Park hoping for a Valentine’s Day love fest, only to have a very, cold morning watching Bobby. His potential mate did arrive in the early afternoon, but only for a brief interval.

My team at the office is doing major upgrade to one of core I.T. systems, and I had to run into the office briefly to offer my support. While I was gone, I get a few texts that the two hawks were sitting together on One Fifth Avenue. Just my luck!

When I got back to the park, there was no sign of either hawk and it began to snow so I gave up for the day.

The pictures on a Spanish tile roof are of the new female. She has light coloring under her eyes, something distinct from Bobby’s features. As time goes one, I’m sure we’ll find more and more field marks to tell them apart.