I hadn’t been to Fort Tryon this season, so I thought it would be worth a look. I ended up getting drenched in a thunderstorm, but I did see one Red-tailed Hawk on a building bordering the park at 196th and Broadway. It was a second year hawk, with its tail feathers in molt. It had a few old stripped brown tail feathers and a few new red ones.
The Broadway Bridge Peregrine Falcon family can be difficult to watch, since the bridge has two towers. This makes it difficult to see everyone at once and figure out how many there are.
Luckily, after a rainstorm early Saturday evening all five could easily be counted and identified. While I was there one of the parents feed one of the youngsters. The parents don’t bring the fledglings their food, but instead make them chase them and make them catch the food in mid-flight. It’s amazing to watch. (The 1 train prevented me from taking photographs of the feeding unfortunately.)
Inwood Hill Park has been a frustrating location for me this year. The new nest location made it difficult to see into the nest, so the few times I went, I didn’t see any eyasses. After they fledged, I also had trouble finding them.
On Saturday, I finally was able to find one of the fledglings with the help of Ranger Rob Mastrianni. The fledgling was spending a quite afternoon relaxing below the old eagle hack site.
Tonight started with the usual American Robin mobbing of the owls. The family is no longer a unified group, with the younger owls going off ahead of their parents. It seems as though the young ones try and sneak out while the robins have their attention on their parents.
Tonight, two went north along the creek. After a few stops, we lost them.
Then we heard two owls near the roost tree, singing to one another. Leaf cover prevented us from finding them.
One of the fledglings got itself into trouble and was taken to the Animal Medical Center. It has lead poisoning and a lame foot. It is now in the Horvath’s care.
I searched Morningside park for other fledgling, worrying about its health. I gave up, and as I walked east on 110th Street, I heard someone call my name. It was Lincoln Karim, who had an adult and a fledgling in view on different buildings. The adult was at 108th and Manhattan Avenue and the fledgling was on the lower roof of the building at the NW corner of 110th and Fredrick Douglas Boulevard.
After about fifteen minutes, the fledgling got up, and flew to Central Park. We could hear the robins and jays mobbing the fledgling, but couldn’t find it. At dusk, with almost no light, Lincoln found the hawk. He had put his camera away, but was very kind to point mine at the hawk. I couldn’t find it on my own.
So, tonight Central Park has a fledgling Red-tailed Hawk!
Tonight started out slowly, with it taking a great deal of time to find any of the owls. But eventually, one showed itself, followed by more. How may more, I’m not sure.
Then the owls made their way north, stopping by the stream. I went around to the other side, while other stayed on one side of the Loch. While I saw two owls in a low tree branch, they got to see an owl take a long bath.
I also heard one of the parents calling, although we didn’t get a family sing along, like we did on Monday.
