Urban Hawks

March 30, 2007December 21, 2020Highbridge Park Red-tailed Hawks

Highbridge Park – Fifth Manhattan Nest!

I received two great emails. The first was a note from James O’Brien that he ran into someone who can see the 888 Seventh Avenue nest. This person said Charlotte was sitting on eggs. It might turn out that the nest isn’t behind the vents after all. This makes 888 the fourth confirmed nest in Manhattan.

The second note was from Glenn Alvarez, who wrote that Highbridge Park has an active Red-tailed Hawk nest. This is the fifth confirmed Manhattan nest for the season!

James O’Brien had seen the nest this winter, from the lower level of Highbridge Park. Glenn’s email confirmed the nest was active and gave us the hints to find it from Amsterdam Avenue. Like the Highbridge nest, it may become impossible to find once the trees get leaves.

Highbridge Park is located along the Harlem River on Manhattan’s eastern northern tip. It is a long, thin park of about 120 acres. For information about the park, see the Park’s Department website.

I went up after work to take some photographs of the nest. I only saw one Red-tail, who I assumed was the female since it was sitting nest for over 90 minutes. I didn’t see its mate.

March 30, 2007December 16, 2020Owls

Friday, March 30th

As it got dark, the female adult, followed by the fledgling, appeared on the trees east of a Grotto. While there, the female adult sang one soft song. It was the trill song, the one we used to hear the West Drive screech female singing after her mate disappeared.

The female and fledgling headed west along the edge of the Pool and then few across the water, landing in a tree at the east end of the Pool. Then the female alone flew into a bare tree just to the north.

A few seconds later, we heard two trill songs, one from the female and a response from the male somewhere nearby. Suddenly the male appeared right above the female. And there, silhouetted by an almost full moon, we saw an amazing sight–Owl sex.

Then all three flew across the drive, and into the darkness of the night.

March 28, 2007December 21, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk Up By The Pool

Wednesday, I got to see this very Red-tailed teenager, go after everything in site without success. It was quite funny to watch. He may be the same juvenile, I saw a week ago around the Reservoir.

Speaking of the Reservoir, our 86th Street regular hasn’t been seen for about a week and may have moved on in search of a mate.

March 28, 2007December 16, 2020Owls

Wednesday, March 28th

A tree just starting to bud is popular with the owls. A tough night for photographs. One thing is clear, if you’re going to follow owls, expect good nights and bad nights.

March 27, 2007December 16, 2020Owls

Tuesday, March 27th

This evening, the fledgling was easy to photograph and watch. We were beginning to learn their perches and habits, but still had a lots to discover.

Parent on left, with fledgling on right.

March 26, 2007December 16, 2020Owls

Monday, March 26th

After Chris sent word that she had found the owls again, we all went up north that evening. For the first time in 2007, we got to see owls in Central Park. Three owls to be exact, two parents and a fledgling. They must have had four babies. It was great to see both parents and the fledgling doing so well.

We were able to follow them as they flew from tree to tree. I was able to get pictures of one of the parents and a fledgling.

They stopped in a tree that had been used by Screech-Owl fledglings two years ago. It brought back memories of that year, my first season birding in Central Park. It was the Screech-Owls that year that got me introduced to our current circle of owl watchers.