Urban Hawks

February 18, 2006December 16, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Immature Red-tailed Hawk Hunting and Eating in the Ramble

On a very cold winter afternoon, I found this immature Red-tailed Hawk hunting in the Ramble at the area along the lake called the Oven. The hawk waited patiently for at least 30 minutes before swooping down to catch a rodent. It then flew with the prey to the Point for a few minutes before returning to a tree in the Oven to consume its catch, which took another 30 minutes. (The pictures in this post are fairly graphic. If you’re squeamish, feel free to skip this post.)

February 5, 2006December 16, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Bookends

Pale Male and Lola perched on opposite towers of the Beresford Sunday afternoon around 1:30 pm. Pale Male was on the SE tower and Lola on the NE tower.

February 4, 2006December 16, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Pale Male at the Azalea Pond

Saturday Morning around 8:30 am

January 31, 2006December 16, 2020Owls

Elvis Has Left The Building

The Great Horned Owl that arrived on December 18th appears to have left the park on Friday evening, January 27th. It was great fun while it lasted!

Pre-flight position, 1-20-06

January 30, 2006December 16, 2020Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Other Red-tailed Hawks

Just Kids – Sunday Hawks

Sunday, I found two immature hawks, a Cooper’s Hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk on Pilgrim Hill. The smaller Cooper’s Hawk was chasing the Red-tailed Hawk! They made their way southeast to the lawn above the Zoo around 70th Street. The Red-tailed Hawk hid in a low tree, and the Cooper’s Hawk gave up and flew off. The Red-tailed Hawk soon relaxed and walked around the lawn for a few minutes before flying off, after two young boys yelled, “Pale Male, Pale Male, I found him first, no, I did, I did.”

January 30, 2006December 16, 2020Other Birds, Other Red-tailed Hawks, Owls

Part II of A Train to Raptors: Northern Central Park

James, Ben and I took the bus down to Central Park from Harlem. I wanted to try and capture photographs of the Eastern Screech-Owl, I had seen earlier in the week. As soon as we get off the bus at 110th Street, a Peregrine Falcon appears overhead. This was a new bird for my Central Park list.

We then walked to the location of the Eastern Screech-Owl and I set up my camera. On Wednesday night, it was so dark at the fly out I couldn’t focus my camera. So, I set up well in advance this time.

While I was waiting both Ben and James went birding. While I sat looking at a tree hole, an immature Red-Tailed Hawk flew into a nearby tree. An adult was also spotted flying by, so we had a 7+ Red-tailed Hawk day.

After the distraction of the Red-tailed Hawk, I reset my camera equipment. I was rewarded just after nightfall by the appearance of a beautiful Eastern Screech-Owl.