Urban Hawks

September 4, 2014December 24, 2020Washington Sq. Red-tailed Hawks

Washington Square Park

It took some time to find them, but I was able to see both Washington Square Adults this evening. I started in the courtyard of the Silver Towers buildings looking at the building on Mercer and Houston where the hawks had recently brought nesting materials. (Building an alternate nest is not unusual, and this pair has brought materials to other sites in the late summer and early fall.)

Without warning, Rosie appeared flying up Broadway from below Houston and I followed her to a building at 4th and Greene Street. Then I saw Bobby fly east on Washington Place. After a few minutes Rosie joined him and both were on top a roof shed at Mercer and Washington. At dusk they both flew north to roost, but I lost track of them.

September 1, 2014December 24, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Octavia on 2 East 70th

On Labor Day, Octavia, Pale Male’s current mate was perched on the north side of 2 East 70th Street. The location gave her a good view up Fifth Avenue.

I always thought 72nd Street was the “line in the sand” between the 5th Avenue and the Sheep Meadow pair, but the borders are turning out to be more complicated. Octavia is regularly south of 72nd Street, and the Sheep Meadow fledglings regularly go north of 72nd Street on either side of Bethesda Fountain.

September 1, 2014December 16, 2020Other Birds

Hudsonian Godwit

The highlight of my bird watching Labor Day weekend was a very cooperative Hudsonian Godwit (a large sandpiper). The bird was on the East Pond of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. It was a new bird for my “life list”.

The bird breeds in Tundra locations in Alaska and Canada and winters on the Atlantic coast of South America.

August 31, 2014December 24, 2020Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Drying, Disco and a Diva

Tonight after an afternoon of birding the North Woods of Central Park without a camera, and after a break to avoid a thunderstorm, I caught up with one of the Sheep Meadow youngsters.

It was a simple encounter with a hawk drying it’s feathers and then hunting. (It had gotten to dark to photograph the capture of the rat which it caught after I had packed up for the night.)

The Salsa music of a few nights ago was replaced by roller-blading Disco, and at the end of the evening a singer who exploited the acoustics of the band shell.

August 29, 2014December 25, 2020Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Rodent Dinner with Salsa

While many fledglings have started to disperse and leave their parents, the two Sheep Meadow fledglings seem in no rush to leave yet.

One of the fledglings, who loves to hunt around the band shell, caught a rodent and ate it to the sounds and sights of Salsa dancers enjoying a wonderful summer evening.

The video includes the entire footage of the rodent being consumed.

August 24, 2014December 25, 2020Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Sheep Meadow Fledgling

I arrived at the Mall to find a crowd around one of the set of wooden benches that form a protective area. Inside was one of the Sheep Meadow fledglings, having just caught a pigeon. The hawks had to spend its time watching everyone who surrounded it eventually flew off to the north.

Struggling to find a good perch to eat the pigeon, it dropped in on to a crowded path. It sat patiently to reclaim its meal, but there were too many people. Eventually a hawk watcher moved the pigeon to a protected lawn, and the fledgling came down and ate the bird.

Many of the area’s fledglings have already started to leave the area, so it was nice to see this youngster in late August.