Fledging Updates

Reports are coming from Donna Browne and Richard Schmunk about fledgings. 

Donna reports that the first fledge has occurred at Fordham University in the Bronx via her blog.

Robert also has a report of a first fledge at St. John the Divine on his blog.

These early days watching new fledglings can be lots of fun.  If you have a chance, visit either location and enjoy the experience.

The eyas on 888 Seventh Avenue should be fledging soon too.  Watch for it to fly to a nearby roof sometime over the next few days.   Keep an eye on Carnegie Hall.  This may be the first stop.

Astoria Park

All was quiet when I arrived.  The eyasses were settling down after a feeding.

The mother keeps watch about 20 feet to the left of the nest.
One kid has already settled down and is joined by the second.  Hawk watching isn’t always exciting.
The biggest excitement of the evening was this Blue Jay who gives the mother a hard time.
So much so, that she moves…
…40 feet to the right of the nest.

Flushing Meadows

On Sunday afternoon, I went to the Unisphere.  Only one eyas was on the nest.  I saw both parents, but none of the fledglings. 

One of the parents on top of the globe.
The single remaining eyas on the nest.
The parents can watch the sorrounding area and the nest at the same time from this high spot.  I also saw for the first time the mother fly to the nest from the top of the globe through the hollow center of the sphere rather than around it.
I saw both parents circle the area between the globe and the NY Pavilion. 

888 Seventh Avenue Action!

The eyas on 888 Seventh Avenue is now running/flapping along the ledge, so one can finally see some activity from the street.  The eyas looks very healthy and in great shape to fly soon. 

Until today, this was the one eyas I known about but hadn’t yet seen.  This brings my hawk watching total for the season to 23 adults, 2 1st years, and 23 eyasses/fledglings for a total of 48 Red-tailed hawks in four boroughs of New York.

With the exception of the Astoria nest, all of these nests were in established territories.

I know I am missing a number of nests in the upper Bronx, eastern Queens and all of Staten Island. The total number of New York City’s Red-tailed Hawks could easily be double my count.

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