Urban Hawks

The Bald Eagle continues to visit Central Park’s Reservoir. Yesterday, I couldn’t get to the park, but many photographers were able to photograph the eagle and were able to see its band number, R over 7, which matches an individual often seen in Brooklyn. Today, it made at least three visits to the Reservoir. I saw two of the passes, one of which was after sunset.

With unusual gulls, ducks, a perched Peregrine and the Eagle’s flights the Reservoir is the “hot” location in the late afternoon in Central Park this week.

Update: From the Connecticut Fish and Wildlife @CTFishWildlife4h: Central Park birders were recently treated to the uncommon sight of a bald eagle capturing a gull in mid-flight! “R7”, or locally known as Rover, was banded by CT DEEP wildlife biologists in New Haven, CT, on May 11, 2018, and he has been hanging around NYC since mid 2020!

At least two Bald Eagles have been visiting Central Park over the last few weeks. Tonight one arrived at dusk. At first we didn’t see it, but every gull started to fly and we knew there was a raptor. It was an adult Bald Eagle, who circle the north end of the Reservoir before catching a gull on the NE corner of the reservoir. It then ate the bird on the ice. (The Reservoir is about half frozen.)

One of the Peregrine Falcons was in a tree near all of the action, but choose to stay put. Also on the Reservoir were a Glaucous Gull (thanks to Ed Gaillard for reporting it, and Peter Post for helping me find it) and a female Long-tailed Duck (thanks to Mary Beth Kooper for reporting it).

I only had my spotting scope and my cell phone to record the Bald Eagle with me, but I thought a Bald Eagle eating in Central Park was worth some photographs.

The Peregrine Falcons, often seen on the El Dorado, finally came down to perch in the trees along the northern edge reservoir today. They were often found there last winter, but I haven’t seen them in the trees this winter. I hope they make many more visits this winter.

After not seeing a Peregrine Falcon since December on the El Dorado, one was perched first on the north tower, and then the south tower on Thursday. Nice to see at least one of them in the New Year.