St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Columbia College Fledgling

I’m back from Norway and visited three Peregrine and Red-tailed Hawk nesting areas on the Upper West Side and around Columbia University on Friday.

Visits to the two Peregrine nesting areas, at 86th & West End Avenue and Riverside Church only resulted in seeing one adult Peregrine Falcon on Riverside Church. (I missed seeing the fledglings at the church when I was away.)

The Columbia College nest on John Jay had problems while I was away. One fledgling was on the ground and spend a day at the Wild Bird Fund before being returned, and one eyass passed away according to a Columbia University employee.

In New York City, we have nests at some sites that have difficulties due to Frounce in the pigeon populations and others that have problems with lead poisoning from the food chain.

The St. John the Divine nest has had serious problems with lead over the last few years. Given the problems this year at John Jay, I would suspect that these problems have carried over to the new location only a few blocks away from the Cathedral.

I did find the surviving fledgling on the northeast chimney of Hamilton Hall, who then flew to the roof of Kent Hall. It spent time calling for a parent, who given the direction the fledgling was looking at might have been on Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital.

Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Mass Hysteria

I’m just about to leave for a trip to Arctic Norway via Paris, for two weeks but made one last trip to the 86th and West End Peregrine Falcons this morning.

(I learned that the TCC Nest has fledged and the one of the fledglings at Columbia University had to be taken to the Wild Bird Fund after being on the ground but was retuned to the nest site. Sadly, I won’t have time to follow up on these families until I’m back.)

The youngster who was on 535’s 6th floor balcony yesterday evening was still in the same location today.

I learned that it had flown over from the tower and missed its landing and ended up at the base of the “balcony” in the afternoon yesterday. The building doesn’t have real balconies but railings with a two inch gap between the ironwork and has window doors that open inwards. The apartment owner called the staff, who realizing the bird as in a tight spot. The staff got a 2×4 and opened the window so the bird could turn around and climb up to the railing and out of the tight space.

The fledgling was still on the railing this morning. It had moved over two windows to the shade and had been fed earlier in the day by the parents. It flapped at times and did lots of preaning. It was very alert, tracking sparrows and the parents when they flew by. There were no signs of injury. It flapped symmetrically, could easily move to face inward or outwards, and didn’t have droopy eyelids like you see with head injuries or poisonings.

A fledgling staying put for long periods isn’t usually a cause for concern, especially when it has had an adventure getting to a location. This may be the same bird that stayed on a windowsill overnight on fledge day.

Generally, you don’t worry unless the bird is on the ground or has an obvious problem.

Sadly however, lots of people in the neighborhood had decided the bird was injured and needed help. One person was convinced it was the adult female, and all of her children were going to die. The phones of the Wild Bird Fund, the NYS DEC, NYC Audubon all lit up with callers. Someone even rang the bell of the local firehouse. Sadly this wastes the time of these organizations and doesn’t accomplish anything. It also means that by crying wolf, if and when a real rescue is needed, help might not respond quickly.

It could be harmful too. Healthy fledglings do best if keep with their parents and an unneeded rescue can cause them to be separated from their parents. Sometimes the best outcomes are by doing nothing. Nature has given the parents and the fledglings incredible instincts to survive without human interference.

This nest is being monitored by the NYS DEC and many experienced birders. If you don’t know much about what happens when raptors fledge, get to know those people who are watching them everyday by talking to them. Learn to tell the adult female from the adult male. See if you can start to tell the fledglings apart. Learn where the fledglings are exploring and how far. You need to have these skills to know if something is truly wrong.

And sadly, prepare yourself for the worst. Birds have an extremely high mortality rate. Start with the expectation that if two or three of these fledglings make it, that it was a wonderful year. You’ll be a lot less stressed.

Update: I received word that the fledgling had left the ledge late in the afternoon.

Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Dusk at West End

I arrived at 86th and West End late tonight. Two youngsters were visible on the nest and both parents were on top of 530 West End Avenue. One fledgling was on a windowsill at 535 West End Avenue. I almost gave up hope of finding the fourth youngster, but I saw some wing flaps on the roof edge of 535 West End Avenue. As I was setting up to photograph it it went down 85th Street and around the block before landing on the fire escape of 530 West End. It played on the roof for a bit and then went back to the nest.

As it got dark, the moon slipped behind the adult female who was watching over everyone.

86th and WEA Peregrine Falcons, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Evening Visit to WEA

After packing for my trip that starts on Friday, I came back to the Peregrine Falcon nest. Most of the action had happened before I arrived with three fledglings making a number of flights. But I did see some fun activity.

One fledgling decided to go up to the balconies used by the parents. When the adult male came to the other balcony, the fledgling decided to hop and jump to the balcony the father was on. The fledgling made it, but his father left before he arrived. There were a number of obstacles in the way of the fledgling and it was fun to see the fledgling maneuver.

The three other youngsters were on the church tower. As, I left those viewing the falcons, got to see the father catch a Rock Pigeon in mid-air.

I found an interesting paper detailing Peregrine Falcons in the NYC Area, Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the New York City Region by Richard A. Herbert and Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert. It documents that nests had been common in the city before DDT, including one at 72nd and West End Avenue.

86th and WEA Peregrine Falcons, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Quiet Morning at WEA

The Peregrine Falcon fledglings were back on the church tower this morning and for the most part just hanging out. There was a bit of a ruckus when a sparrow was delivered to one youngster, with the others wanting more food to be delivered. But otherwise it was quiet, with all four fledglings and their parents accounted for.

As I write this I’m getting lots of texts that there is lots of activity this afternoon.

St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

1st Fledgling At Columbia College

One of the two eyasses has fledged at Columbia’s John Jay Hall. It was on the NE corner of Butler Library on the lower section of the roof that circles the building.

I couldn’t find the fledgling at first. I heard Bluejays calling from Amsterdam Avenue and went to see if the fledgling was east of the nest. On my way out a guard told me bird were calling from Mount Sinai Morningside. When I got out to the avenue, I found the parents on St. John the Divine being harassed by an American Kestrel. I looked some more but didn’t find the fledgling.

I went back to the nest, and heard mobbing coming from a Ginkgo Tree at the northeast corner of the Butler Library. Then all of a sudden, the fledgling appeared into view. It must have been on the roof all along. It looked to have found a good place to fledge!