Urban Hawks

July 29, 2014December 25, 2020Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

Tompkins Square Park

We got to see at least two youngsters and the adult male. The juveniles are hunting in Tompkins Square Park but the father is still bringing food, so tonight after one juvenile had a meal a fresh rat another rat went uneaten.

For about twenty minutes at dusk, two of fledglings perched at the S.W. entrance to the park and drew quite a crowd. It was funny because only moments before they were about twenty feet inside the park and the park regulars were completely blasé about them and just ignored them. It’s tough being famous in New York City!

July 27, 2014December 25, 2020Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Hip Hop at Sheep Meadow

Summerstage had a hip hop concert blaring music while this Sheep Meadow hawk did some squirrel hunting. It came up empty, but reports are a fledgling caught two pigeons earlier in the day in the same area.

July 26, 2014December 25, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Fifth Avenue Mystery

I got to see one of the fledglings for over two hours around the Obelisk (sometimes referred to Cleopatra’s Needle), west of the Met. This was fun since there were lots of good looks at the bird.

However, the mystery of the day was a large adult Red-tailed Hawk, who wasn’t Pale Male or Ocativa, who showed up nearby. This coupled with the rescue of a young hawk around the tennis courts at 96th Street last week had hawk watchers wondering.

Could the young hawk could have been from an unknown nest of the pair that tired to nest along CPW these last two years? And could the adult hawk we saw be the parent of this youngster, investigating the cries from Pale Male and Ocatavia’s children, in case they were the parent’s missing fledgling?

I don’t think we’ll ever know but it makes a great story!

Update: It looks like the youngster that was picked up at the tennis courts is most likely one of the Cathedral fledglings, which makes sense given their exposure to Frounce. So, this extra adult’s appearance may have not explanation.

July 26, 2014December 25, 2020Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

Tompkins Square on Friday

I made a visit to Tompkins Square Park on Friday. I got to see four Red-tailed Hawks flying high above the park and one fledgling on the nest, on the ground and in trees.

Late July and early August is a tough time for hawk watchers. The birds that tended to stay close to the nest are now covering a wider area and are harder to find.

July 24, 2014December 25, 2020Washington Sq. Red-tailed Hawks

After Dinner

I had dinner down at The Cardinal on 4th Street tonight and made a quick trip to Tompkins Square Park. I found one of the fledglings down on 8th Street and an adult on the flag pole. It was nice to be back with New York City hawks.

July 15, 2014December 25, 2020Extralimital, Other Birds

Turkey Vulture Chick

I’m still out at the Grand Canyon and found this young Turkey Vulture on a cliff face.

It’s so great to be on vacation and see the breeding locations of birds you see migrating through New York City in the spring and the fall. I’ve never seen a young Turkey Vulture before! Cute, but still with a face only a mother could love!