Urban Hawks

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.

August 11, 2009Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Riverside Update

I've been by Riverside Park a few times over the last week, but haven't seen the fledgling since the 4th of August. I suspect that the fledgling is exploring and is somewhere in a twenty block radius of the nest. Any news of sightings would be appreciated.

This is one of the frustrations of Red-tailed Hawk watching. When the kids leave home, they don't give you any warning. They just go!

Update: August 17th, 2009. Pam Langford was kind enough to send me an email saying that the fledgling was near the 83rd Street Playground on the evening of Sunday the 16th. It was nice to hear the fledgling was doing fine.

August 8, 2009December 24, 2020Extralimital

Yellowstone Gray Wolf

I spent about eight hours trying to see a Yellowstone Gray Wolf, and finally did for about 30 seconds. I only ended up with one fuzzy picture but it was worth it.

Wolves were reintroduced to the Yellowstone in 1995, and have generated interest with the general public since then.

The “wolfers”, are a die hard group of wolf watchers. Spending a few mornings and afternoons with them, reminded me of what hawk watching is like in New York. The group had the same spectrum of individuals as the New York hawk watchers, hard-core scientific experts, addicted animal lovers, and casual watchers. Many of the wolfers plan their Yellowstone vacations around wolf watching or live and/or work in surrounding areas and spend evenings or weekends in the park looking for wolves.

The wolfers have a network, just like the hawk watchers too. They use radios and the internet to communicate about sightings and keep in touch with each other.

Below are pictures of a morning wolf watching.

August 8, 2009December 24, 2020Extralimital, Other Birds

Grand Teton Sandhill Cranes

I got to see three different pairs of Sandhill Cranes in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons but photographing them wasn’t easy. Here are the best photographs I had. They had a wonderfully prehistoric sounding call.

August 8, 2009December 24, 2020Extralimital

Yellowstone Pronghorn

Yellowstone Pronghorn were easily spotted on my trip in two valleys, the Hayden and the Lamar. They’re sometimes called Antelope. They’re known for their great eyesight and quick speed.