American Woodcocks have been in Central Park for about the last week. I caught up with one on Saturday. They’re very well camouflaged, worm eating birds with a silly walk and mating ritual.
The bird was doing a good job of hiding, but we did get some glimpses!
Later in the afternoon, the Tompkins Square Park provided the opposite experience from the Washington Square Park nest. The hawks who copulated three times in less than an hour and the colorful characters of the park, who also were observing the hawks, made the sound track not safe for work.
Newly established nests have a tendency to lay eggs later than older nests. So, no one should worry that this nest is a few weeks behind the more established nests in Central Park or Washington Square.
When hawks are sitting on eggs, not much happens. If you’re lucky you’ll be watching when the female wants to take a brief break from her egg sitting duties. But only if you’re lucky.
Tonight, I had no such luck at Washington Square Park! Bobby was on One Fifth Avenue briefly, and Rosie was on the nest. Her head is slightly visible to the left of black window frame and her tail feathers peak out on the right. She didn’t even get up to stretch while I was at the park!
Glenn Alvarez has confirmed that the Highbridge/Swindler’s Cove is where it was last year and that a hawk was sitting on the nest when he visited the nest
There are multiple reports of hawks on El Doroado Apartments. These hawks have also been seen carrying twigs.
The Morningside Hawks blog confirms the J.Hood Wright Park nest is brooding.
There is no NYU/Washington Square webcam news to report. NYU has not let anyone know if they will be setting up a camera this year.
After posting my scorecard for the year, I got an email that hawks were again being spotted on the El Dorado with nesting materials. I spotted one Red-tail on the El Dorado this evening, but didn’t see its mate. Hopefully this year will turn out better than last year when construction workers destroyed the nest just as the female was laying eggs.
Although the late afternoon was quiet, before dusk there was lots of activity at Tompkins Square Park. It had the usual, copulation, rat hunting and nest visits. But the surprise of the day was the night time roosting location of the male. He choose a tree on the west side of Avenue A. He choose the noisiest place to roost in the neighborhood. Amazing.
