Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, General News

CBS Mornings

Michael George produced a wonderful piece for CBS Mornings, that was aired nationally today. It was a long piece about the reintroduction of Bald Eagles in New York City and featured Ranger Rob Mastrianni and rehabber Bobby Horvath. I contributed a few seconds of video to the story.

I was impressed that story of Rover’s visits to Central Park, which could have been just a brief sensationalized report, was instead a much deeper dive into why Bald Eagles are making a come back in New York City. They are returning due to the hard work of local rehabbers, and conservation employees of the city, state and national governments.

Kudos to Michael George for such a great report.

Click on the image to watch the clip. (CBS adds an advertisement before the clip.)
Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Ritz-Carlton Hawks

Today, I got to see lots of action from hawks building a nest on the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. When I arrived the male had just brought a rodent to the female of the pair on the very top of the hotel. They moved to the 37th Floor of the Trump Parc building and the male left leaving the female. She coughed up a casting and then ate the rodent.

While she was eating, the male when out and got a branch and brought it to the nest. I left the area and explored the park for a few hours.

When I returned, I saw the male in a low branch just inside the park at the southeast corner entrance to the park. He caught a rodent and then flew to a tree in Hallett Sanctuary where he ate. Then he returned to the same tree he had been hunting in earlier.

Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Nesting Season

In NYC, mid-March is nest building and egg laying season. Today, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk visit a window ledge on the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Central Park South and Sixth Avenue. The ledge had twigs, but wasn’t a fully built nest.

This may be the same pair that build a poorly designed nest on the St. Regis where they then laid eggs and lost them last year. That pair also brought sticks to a window at the Peninsula Hotel, last year. If this is the same pair, they sure do love expensive hotel room windows!

The window is above a shield flanked by two cherubs. Pale Male and Octavia’s nest also has two cherubs.

927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Pale Male and Octavia

On a warm sunny day, Pale Male and Octavia spent over an hour on their nest in the afternoon. They don’t seem to be working on refurbishing it though. So, after a failed nest two years ago, and no eggs/brooding last year, chances are they’ve entered retirement age. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks. Red-tailed Hawks usually lay eggs in mid-March in NYC.

Other Red-tailed Hawks

84th and East End

On the north face of the building at the SE corner of 84th and East End Avenue, on a balcony with three sliding glass doors, the local Carl Schurz Park Red-tailed Hawks were bringing twigs to balcony. This early in the season, it’s hard to know if this is just an experiment or if it will be their nest for the year. Let’s hope it works out for them.

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

Sunday Snow Storm

On a snowy day, made my first stop Riverside Drive and 86th Street to see the Peregrine Falcons who have been perching on the Normandy. They were both there, but also a wonderful American Kestrel who was camped out in from of two bushed with about 40 White-throated Sparrows and House Sparrows. The Peregrines came and left, and in the late afternoon both moved to West End Avenue.

I then went to Central Park, making a brief visit to the Reservoir and then to see the Great Horned Owl that has been in the park. It’s important to see and owl on SuperB Owl Sunday.