Urban Hawks

October 30, 2011December 19, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Young Red-tailed Hawk

There was a young Red-tailed Hawk flying between 100th and 111th Street along Fifth Avenue this afternoon. It was impossible to tell if it was a migrant or a hawk that was born on a nearby nest this spring.

October 30, 2011December 25, 2020Other Animals

Chipmunk

While Chipmunks are common in the surrounding areas, I had never seen one in Central Park until today. I had heard they had returned a few years ago, but never ran across one until today. It was on the eastern slope of the Great Hill.

The condition of the park was mixed after the very early snow storm. The trees still had leaves and the snow was very wet. While some trees had fallen over, most of the damage seemed to be limited to broken branches. The greatest damage was in the southern section of the park.

Update: 10/31/11 – I’ve received word that the damage is worse than I estimated from my walk in the north.

The park staff is going to be working very hard to clean up the damage and get ready for the New York City Marathon which is next Sunday.

October 23, 2011December 25, 2020Other Birds

Two Types of Grebes

Today was a good day for Grebe watching on the Reservoir. Today, we had both a fairly rare visitor, a Horned Grebe and a more common visitor a Pied-Billed Grebe.

Pied-billed Grebe in the upper left, with to Ruddy ducks as a size reference in the lower right.

October 22, 2011December 25, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Other Birds

Merlin and Lima

On Saturday, I explored the park looking for raptors. My first was a Merlin falcon on a water tank on top of the Lincoln Correctional Facility on 110th Street. It was chased away by a mob of Crows. Later, I saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk hunting, although it was too fast to photograph. As I ended my walk, I saw the female Red-tailed Hawk, Lima on a 5th Avenue building around 77th Street.

October 16, 2011December 25, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Life Imitates Art

This afternoon, Lima, the female of the Fifth Avenue nest was on the Beresford Apartments and the American Museum of Natural History. On the AMNH, she perched on an ornamental eagle.

October 15, 2011December 25, 2020Other Birds

American Wigeon

While the abundance of birds in the park seemed small, there were surprises. The best for me was a new species of duck for my Central Park list, an American Wigeon.

(The mark on the bird’s right rear neck, seemed to either be feathers out of place or an injury rather than a field mark.)