Urban Hawks

September 5, 2009December 21, 2020Owls

Eastern Screech-Owls Settling Down

The North Woods Screech-Owls seem to have settled down again after all of the storm clean up activity. For about a week they seemed to be all over the place, but now that tree trimming equipment isn’t parked next to their old roost, they’ve returned to their favorite tree.

Keeping track of them has been frustrating. Some nights we don’t hear them and on others they’re very vocal. Most nights we don’t see them, but on some we can watch them fly for blocks. I can’t wait for the late fall, when the leaves will drop and they’ll be easier to find.

August 22, 2009December 24, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Riverside and Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

After exploring more of the damage in the North Woods this afternoon, I ventured over to Riverside Park followed by the middle of Central Park.

I found two hawks. One was on top of the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 89th and Riverside Drive. This is likely the Adult Hawk (young, light eyed) Lincoln Karim had seen earlier in the week. (The hawk flew off before I got around the monument, so I didn’t get a chance to see its tail and confirm it was an adult.)

After visiting Riverside Park, I went back to Central Park and saw either Pale Male or Lola in their favorite late afternoon tree on the Great Lawn. The lawn was closed due to the wet weather we’ve been having, so I didn’t get to see the hawk up close and get a positive I.D.

August 20, 2009December 18, 2020Owls

Two Wonderful Voices

Tonight, we heard both of the North Woods Eastern Screech-Owls loud and clear. The female called loudly and the male answered. It was great have confirmation that they had both survived the storm.

I took some more pictures of the storm damage. Although lots of trees were lost, luckily they were scattered throughout the North Woods. Once the damaged trees are removed the park will not look too scarred.

Doug Blonsky, the President of the Central Park Conservancy has issued an appeal for funds to help with the clean up. Details are on Marie Winn’s blog.

August 19, 2009December 27, 2020General News

North Woods Storm

The intense thunderstorm on Tuesday night did an incredible amout of damage to the trees in the North Woods. The trees on the Great Hill seemed to be the worst hit.

Bedrock is near the surface throughout much of the park and many trees have very shallow root systems. A few of the trees used by the Eastern Screech-Owls were hurt including a large tree used by last year’s fledglings to roost in almost all summer. A large number of trees used by raccoons also fell, including a favorite I call the Keebler Elf tree, since at times more than six raccoons lived in the base of the tree which was hollow.

I only had my long telephoto with me today, so I had to take photos of the damage with my iPhone at dusk. These few pictures show only a fraction of the damage.

At dusk, we only saw glimpses of owls, so there are no photographs. We viewed one gliding down to a standard post-fly out preening area, and one near a rustic bridge. It would have been nice to know for sure, that both had survived the storm, but knowing that at least one made it was positive news.

August 17, 2009December 24, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Fledgling Returns To Standard Haunts

The Riverside Park fledgling has returned to its old haunts around the 83rd Street playground and nearby buildings on Riverside Drive. It was great to see the fledgling again, who looked healthy and well fed.

The father was also nearby for much of the evening. The fledgling ended up on a few high buildings, but eventually fell asleep in a tree just outside the park on Riverside Drive.

Where the fledgling has been the last ten days remains a mystery!

(In addition to the normal playground, traffic and jet noise on the video, if you listen closely you’ll hear the calling sounds of male cicadas.)

August 16, 2009December 21, 2020Owls

Monarch Butterfly and an Eastern Screech-Owl

I’ve been busy with work since getting back from Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, and haven’t done much birding in the last two weeks.

Today, I spend an hour in the North Woods. It was just the right amount of time in the heat. The wildflower meadow was quiet, without a fall migrant in sight. The same for The Loch, lots of American Robins and Gray Catbirds, but nothing unusual.

So, the highlight of the day was a photogenic Monarch Butterfly and the North Wood’s Red-phased Eastern Screech-Owl.