Urban Hawks

May 8, 2009December 24, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

RFK Bridge and Unisphere Nests

I made a quick trip out to the RFK Bridge and the Unisphere on Friday. The RFK female was feeding young, but they didn’t pop up into sight, so I stuck out again in my attempt to get a glimpse at them.

The female at the Unisphere was sitting on the nest. It was impossible to tell if she was still sitting on eggs or had hatchlings. The nest is recessed into an I beam, which makes it a great hiding place for youngsters.

I’ll be checking back up on these nests in a few weeks.

May 6, 2009December 24, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

It Stopped Raining

After a few days of rain, I was able to get back to the Riverside Park nest. The eyasses are doing much better at standing up and moving around the nest. I can’t tell if they’re taller or just standing straighter. But is much easier to get a look at them.

The father spent most of his time on a branch about 15 feet from the nest. The mother kept the eyasses warm and fed, making two trips across the highway to “take out the trash”. She flew just above the car traffic. The highway is going to make this site nerveracking when the eyasses fledge!

May 3, 2009December 24, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Rainy Sunday At Riverside

I went to Riverside in a brief break in the rain late Sunday afternoon. I saw the female feed the eyasses, who are getting much better at standing up, and the male, who was hanging out close to the nest.

Despite all of the rain, everyone seemed to be doing just fine. The only ones who seemed unhappy were two Blue Jays, who gave the male a hard time for about fifteen minutes.

May 2, 2009December 24, 2020Other Birds

Too Big A Meal For A Great Egret

A Great Egret caught too big a fish, just off The Point of the Lake, in Central Park this evening. It struggled to get it down, but ended up throwing it back into the water.

May 2, 2009December 24, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Baby Makes Three At Riverside

By the third feeding I saw this afternoon it became clear that we had three eyasses (baby hawks) in the nest. Eggs are laid over the period of a few days, and so the eggs don’t hatch all at once. Since newly hatched eyasses have trouble standing, during the first few days observing a newly hatched nest, you may discover the last hatchling a few days after seeing the older ones.

This relatively low nest, with the exit ramp at the same level of the nest, is giving us a wonderful opportunity to view the young eyasses during their first week. A rare treat for those of us accustomed to building nests like Trump Parc, St. John the Divine or Fifth Avenue. The last video clearly shows all three.

May 2, 2009December 24, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

A Happy New Year Hangover

Metalized plastic balloons are an environmental hazard for wildlife, since they are not biodegradable and can travel long distances. Today the adult female found one with a Happy New Year’s message in Riverside Park and tried to weave it into the nest. The adult male didn’t seem to happy with the idea and luckily the balloon fell out of the nest. Stella Hamilton, a long time hawk watcher, retrieved the balloon and made sure it was disposed of properly.

Since these types of balloons are dangerous to wildlife, it’s recommended to get children in the habit of popping these balloons at the end of a party as a fun activity, rather then releasing them.