Urban Hawks

May 14, 2008December 18, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria/Triborough Bridge Nest Moves North

The Astoria/Triborough Bridge nest has at least two chicks in its new location on the other side of the bridge. (Thanks, Jules Corkery for the update.) I didn’t get great pictures this evening but wanted to share them never the less.

The Astoria female was very ill this fall and was nursed back to health under the care of Bobby Hovarth. With all of the bad news, it’s important to remember that there are still lots of positive stories and successes in New York City.

Update 5/15/08: Also on the good news front Peregrine Falcons are doing well this season. 55 Water St. has a scrape with four nestlings which can be viewed on a webcam, and at least two birds have fledged on the Met Life building.

May 13, 2008December 18, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Riverside Nest Falls

This morning, the Riverside Red-tailed Hawk nest fell down. A sign posted to a railing near the nest stated that the nest fell at 10:45 a.m. and two eyasses were recovered and set to Audubon.

The toxicology results of the first eyas recovered should be returned in about two weeks. This will help determine what occurred last Friday.

Both parents were on the The Normandy at 140 Riverside Drive this evening. One on each tower.

May 13, 2008December 21, 2020Owls

Tuesday, 5-13-08

It was a nice evening. The owls were back in their regular tree and used the jungle gym of fallen trees near the stream. The fledglings spent time on the ground and by the stream bed.

May 12, 2008December 19, 2020Owls

Monday, 5-12-08

Owl watching is getting a lot harder. We couldn’t find them in any of the standard roost trees this evening. It took quite awhile for us to find them. Picture taking was next to impossible. While this is disappointing for me, it is a great sign that the young owls are becoming more and more independent.

May 12, 2008Red-tailed Hawk Nest Updates

Manhattan Hawk Nest Update

Of the eight known nests in Manhattan, here’s their status this week…

5th Avenue, nest failure. Lola has stopped sitting on the eggs.

888 Seventh Avenue, uncertain.

St. John the Divine, feeding behavior has started, but no eyasses visible, which isn’t unusual for this nest.

Highbridge Park, two eyasses

Inwood Hill Park, three eyasses

South Riverside Park, death of three chicks. (Updated: 5-13-08. The necrospy at the DEC Pathology unit of one of the chicks showed acute hemorrhaging of the lungs. This discovery makes secondary poisoning the most likely cause of death, although hypothermia is still a posibility. Further tests will be carried out to try and identify the anticoagulant or other possible toxins. Thank you, Lincoln Karim, for taking the chick up to Dr. Stone’s lab.)

Houston Street, three eyasses.

Shepard Hall, City College, nest is too difficult to observe to be sure.

May 10, 2008December 21, 2020Owls

Saturday, 5-10-08

It was an interesting evening. One of the fledglings had a bird with it at dusk and was busy eating it before the fly out. Then the young owls spent a great deal of time on the ground. I think the parents are starting to encourage them to hunt and forage for themselves.