I spend a great deal of time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday hoping to see the last fledgling leave the nest. Given that its older siblings left last Wednesday, I was expecting it to go. But it certainly seem to be in no rush to go!
It’s two siblings are doing great in the park and are being well fed by Pale Male and Octavia.
This is also from Friday afternoon. Two healthy eyasses looking like they will fledge within the week. It’s so nice to have a tree nest to watch in Central Park!
(Despite the soundtrack of the video, beer sales and alcohol consumption in Central Park is prohibited but the regulation is randomly enforced.)
I got a little behind on editing video, so this is from Friday, June 6th. This is a fledgling playing on an NYU dorm roof being watched by Rosie. (This is most likely not the fledgling that decided to go to school and enter an NYU classroom.)
In the middle of the night, a NYU Public Safety officer found a Washington Square Park fledgling in an NYU classroom. The proper folks were called, and Rob Mastrianni, an Urban Park Ranger with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation responded in the middle of the night. He captured the bird and at dawn released it into the park. It did not fly off, so it was transfered to WINORR on Long Island.
While there has been much frustration with NYU's decision not to install a camera this year, the NYU Public Safety staff has taken its role to protect the fledgings very seriously over the years. They deserve our thanks yet again.
Rob Mastrianni, who responsed in the middle of the night, also deserves our thanks. He loves raptors and will do almost anything in any neighborhood of the city to help out, on or off duty. Thanks Rob.
And of course the Horvath's deserve our thanks most of all. WINORR does wonders in New York City. Thanks Cathy and Bobby.
Over the next few days, while Cathy and Bobby get the fledgling a check-up, and give the fledgling some time to grow up and be a better flier so it can be returned to the park safely, we'll see the parents searching for their youngster. I know from past experience this can be difficult to watch.
When Ziggy fledged too early, off 888 7th Avenue a few years ago, there were outcries to have him returned quickly. But the Horvath's decision to wait a week to return the fledgling, ended up in the best possible outcome, a great family reunion and a fledgling that safely spent the summer in Central Park.
So, please try to avoid any monday morning quarterbacking, and let the Horvath's do their jobs.
(The Horvath's also have the male from the Cathedral of St. John in their care as well as a very sick eyass from the Bronx. I'm so thankful for what they do.)
Update 6/10: The fledgling was returned to the park and is doing fine.
I learned today that two, not just one hawk had fledged at Fifth Avenue on Wednesday. One of the two birds was flying all over the place, as though it had fledged weeks ago. The other was a bit more reserved hanging out in trees north of the Model Boat Pond building.
Three nests had fledges today, Fifth Avenue, St. John the Divine and Washington Square. For Washington Square it was the second fledge.
This evening, I got to see the first and second Washington Square Park fledglings. The first fledgling had made it to the safety of the NYU Pless Hall roof. The second and newest fledgling was doing its best to hide in a small tree west of the Bocce Court.
Both fledglings looked healthy. (You know you’ve watching hawks to long when you study video for signs of Frounce.) The second fledgling seemed to be having some trouble getting to higher branches, but that’s not too unusual for a hawk’s first day off the nest.
