Urban Hawks

March 23, 2008December 21, 2020Owls

Sunday, 3-23-08

Tonight was lots of fun.

The male was in the cavity by the bridge. He was in his usual spot, jumped around to the “back door”, and flew out towards to the same tree he had used the night before. He then flew around the nest area scoping out the squirrels and raccoons.

He then did something I had thought I had seen him do before, but this time I got to see for sure. He knocked a squirrel off the side of a tree, making him fall twenty feet. The squirrel managed to grap a limb of a bush in order to break its fall. It was amazing to watch. Gray Squirrels are three times heaver than an Eastern Screech-Owl.

While watching the male after this, Jean saw an owl fly into the cavity. It wasn’t the male, since I could see him the whole time. So, the female had taken a short break and returned to the cavity.

Lots of action. It’s going to be tough to watch the two of them being so independent. You can only be in one place at a time!

We keep hoping for a glimpse of a nestling but haven’t seen one yet. We really have no idea where they are in the nesting cycle.

March 22, 2008December 23, 2020Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

Lower East Side

The female is now brooding on the Lower East Side. Locals report that she seems to be free of the plastic bag that was on her leg on Friday. Luckily, the male picked up and send to a rehabber a few blocks north of the nest, turns out not to be part of this pair.

I received an email that suggested there was a rush to read her band number. It was suggested that the school be contacted so someone could look out the window. I would suggest restraint and wait until the juveniles fledge.

However, if someone wanted to contact the school to help them build an art and science curriculum based on the hawks that might be fantastic. Hawk Mountain already has a number of coloring books, study guides and teaching outlines. I had hoped that New York City Audubon already had a curriculum for an inner city school but they don’t seem to have one.

Here are some pictures of the male on two buildings and the female’s tail, which is the best picture she would give me in the late afternoon.

March 22, 2008December 19, 2020Highbridge Park Red-tailed Hawks

Highbridge Nest Rediscovered and General Update

Glenn Alvarez wrote me on Friday to say that he had found the new location of the Highbridge Park nest. I went up and saw it on Saturday. It looks to be in a great new location.

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

5th Avenue, Lola sitting on the eggs.

888 Seventh Avenue, Lots of mating and twigging. Not sure if brooding has started.

St. John the Divine, Not sitting yet.

Highbridge Park, New nest location. Female sitting on eggs.

Inwood Hill Park, New nest location. Female sitting on eggs.

South Riverside Park, Female sitting on eggs.

Houston Street, Female sitting on eggs. The male picked up earlier in the month downtown, turns out NOT to be from this nest.

Shepard Hall, City College, New nest. Not sure of status.

And in the Bronx, Chris Lyons reports Rose is sitting on the Fordham University nest.

March 22, 2008December 18, 2020Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

79th Street Nest

The Riverside pair started nesting this week. Although this may be their first nest, they sure look like experts.

A little rearranging of the nest lining.

March 22, 2008December 21, 2020Owls

Saturday, 3-22-08

James O’Brien called me and said “Rush over, there’s an owl in the cavity by the bridge.” Now that was a change. The male was back in this old spot. He was visible for a great deal of time after the fly out, but no sign of the female in the standard spot. What’s up? Have the eggs hatched and he’s been kicked out? Or is something else going on, maybe something to do with the squirrel?

March 22, 2008December 25, 2020Other Animals

Harbor Seal

There has been a Harbor Seal to the north and south of the Boat Basin (79th and the Hudson River) for the last few months. I got to see the seal on Saturday. Too bad. If it was on Sunday, I could have made bad puns about the Easter Seal.

Thanks to Leslie Day, for the heads up.