Urban Hawks

Many of the former webcam watchers of the Washington Square nest meet up on Sunday mornings to watch Pip.  Today, they got lucky and found her perched on top of an antenna next to the water tank for 2 Washington Square Village. 

Ironically, this building is one of my pet peeves about New York University.  The four buildings regularly put out their garbage in plastic trash bags, rather than dumpsters and their gardens are full of rodents and cockroaches.  Rather than improve this situation by improving sanitation practices, N.Y.U. puts out poisons that put hawks at risk.

The N.Y.U. hawk webcam was sponsored by the university’s sustainability department.  Unfortunately, it looks like this group isn’t interested in studying the impacts of the university’s own practices on hawks in the area.  I guess basic sanitation, reducing poison usage, and evaluating the types of poisons being used, isn’t as trendy as reducing bottled water usage.

Tonight, the male of the Washington Square pair, Bobby, was seen hunting in Washington Square Park in the early evening, and most likely was seen on top of the W of the W Union Square Hotel at sunset.

I was only able to get pictures in Union Square from far away, so I’m not 100% sure of my I.D.  

I received some odd emails about Pip's movement from Washington Square to Union Square.  It has nothing to do Pip's reaction to hawk watchers or what park Pip likes the best.  It is just the normal turn of events.

After fledgling, all Red-tailed fledglings roam, settling down somewhere for a week, then exploring another location, and yet another.  This is important, since the area near the nest may not be the best area to grow up or to hunt in.  Fledglings will end up exploring all of their parent's territory, and in some cases end up going beyond it before they leave home.

Bobby and Violet had a view of Union Square from the flagpoles they loved to perch on so much in Washington Square.  Like the parents at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which call Morningside Park and the Northern portion of Central Park their home, the Washington Square Park pair claim more than one park. 

It's great to observe that Red-tails can think "outside the box".  City park too small? Claim more than one. 

Proof once again of how adaptable Red-tailed Hawks can be when it comes to city life!

Tonight, lots of Washington Square hawk watchers got to see Pip and Bobby around Union Square Park. 

Pip, the Washington Square fledgling was eating on the theater which currently hosts performances of Fuerza Bruta, when I first saw her.  After she finished her meal, she flew to a section of the roof were we couldn’t see her from the park.

So, we went in search of Bobby, who was found with good eyes and the help of an alarmed American Robin.  He was enjoying looking at rats and squirrels who were amazingly bold with him nearby! 

After about fifteen minutes, Pip called and Bobby went over to the theater.  He then flew south.  Pip then came out of hiding and they both ended up on a building a few blocks north of the theater.  Within minutes, they both went north out of sight, but then Pip flew and perched high on a corner of the W hotel at 17th and Park Avenue South.  She continued flying and may have perched on the rear fire escape of 215 Park Avenue South.

(Generally, I wouldn’t give out such exact locations, but since the birds were so high off the ground, I doubt there is any harm.)

Nice night after a drought of Pip sightings!  For more video, see the Roger Paw blog.