The hatching window for the 5th Avenue nest is closing.  If this year’s nest is another failure, I would suggest that the members of the hawk watching community begin to take responsibility for what to do next rather than continuing to blame the Co-Op, NYC Audubon and/or city and state wildlife officials.

This year, with the excellent leadership by Glenn Phillips, executive director of NYC Audubon, a repair of the nest cradle was undertaken to rule out design problems as a cause for three years of nest failures with the cooperation of the Co-Op and the government.  At this point, I think NYC Audubon has fulfilled its obligations.  Any new research and any additional changes to the nest, should be funded by the hawk watching community.

I have to be honest and say that I would not contribute funds to any additional fiddling with the nest.   I would rather see funds spent on supporting NYC Rehabitators, electing a President who would reverse the current administration’s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which allowed the original nest to be destroyed and funding education programs that stress that all areas of this nation are wildlife areas, including our cities and suburban areas.

Enough editorializing, here are some pictures of Pale Male and Lola from Saturday.  The pictures on the nest are of Lola and the others are of Pale Male.