Urban Hawks

April 19, 2008December 23, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

If Time Runs Out…

The hatching window for the 5th Avenue nest is closing. If this year’s nest is another failure, I would suggest that the members of the hawk watching community begin to take responsibility for what to do next rather than continuing to blame the Co-Op, NYC Audubon and/or city and state wildlife officials.

This year, with the excellent leadership by Glenn Phillips, executive director of NYC Audubon, a repair of the nest cradle was undertaken to rule out design problems as a cause for three years of nest failures with the cooperation of the Co-Op and the government. At this point, I think NYC Audubon has fulfilled its obligations. Any new research and any additional changes to the nest, should be funded by the hawk watching community.

I have to be honest and say that I would not contribute funds to any additional fiddling with the nest. I would rather see funds spent on supporting NYC Rehabitators, electing a President who would reverse the current administration’s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which allowed the original nest to be destroyed and funding education programs that stress that all areas of this nation are wildlife areas, including our cities and suburban areas.

Enough editorializing, here are some pictures of Pale Male and Lola from Saturday. The pictures on the nest are of Lola and the others are of Pale Male.

April 19, 2008December 21, 2020Owls

Saturday, 4-19-08

The male slept outside today and the female was visible in the cavity most of the day. She let one of the kids have a peak outside at least once during the day.

In the evening, the mother came out early. For the first time, Jean and I were able to see her take a bath in the Loch. My camera was taking pictures of the nestlings, so there are no images. However, take my word for it, we got to watch something simply wonderful. The female got into a shallow portion of the Loch and sat down. She acted like a duck, moving her tail feathers back and forth like Donald Duck in a cartoon. She dipped her head down to get it wet, like a playful Bufflehead. She walked up on shore, rested for a bit and then used her legs to jump as part of her take off from the ground. We watched her dry off and preen, as she moved from tree to tree.

Last Saturday, we had seen her all wet and joked of it as her “Saturday Bath”. It seemed funny that when we actually got to see her bathe, it was the next Saturday, as if she knew about our joke!

During her bathing time, the male was attacking a raccoon and feeding the young.

I went away from the evening feeling privileged to have witness so many
different owl behaviors over the last few months. And to think this is Central Park, New York City!

April 18, 2008December 23, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Tolerance Of A Young One

While we wait to see if this year’s 5th Avenue nest is a success, we all have been amazed by the tolerance Pale Male and Lola is showing towards a young hawk that was born last year.

The hawk flew south just east of Fifth Avenue, then circled near the nest and then went west over the model boat pond. Lola didn’t even get up when this happened and Pale Male didn’t appear. If the eggs hatch, I wonder if this tolerance will continue.

The pictures that follow are single image of the young hawk, and the rest, which were taken about half an hour later, are of Lola having a stretch.

April 18, 2008December 18, 2020Owls

Friday, 4-18-08

Tonight, the young ones were more aggressive about coming to the edge of the cavity. There are definitely at least two nestlings.

Adult whinny and hoot-hoot vocalizations were heard. A raccoon seemed to trigger the hoot-hoots.

Feeding of what may be moths, continued as their were frequent flights between the trees near the West Drive’s street lights, an interim stop on top of a broken sapling ten feet in front of the nest and the cavity. One pictures of a nestling shows the food, but it is too blurry to see if it is definitely a moth.

The male was reported to have been out of the cavity all day, and the female left just as I arrived. They both would have been fun to photograph, but I concentrated on the cavity and its current jewels.

There is something in the beak of the owl. This was taken just after the parent left

April 17, 2008December 23, 2020Other Birds

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was perched on a branch of a Sweet Gum Tree on the north bank of the Pool, at dusk, Thursday evening. This is a new bird for my Central Park list.

April 17, 2008December 23, 2020Highbridge Park Red-tailed Hawks

Highbridge Nest Still Brooding

The Highbridge nest hasn’t hatched yet. I went up hoping it would be Manhattan’s first nest with eyasses, but not yet.

The female was sitting when I arrived. The male arrived on a nearby tree being chased by Blue Jays. He eat HIS meal in sight of the female, but didn’t bring her any food or give her a break while I was there!