Sunday Hat Trick

By D. Bruce Yolton927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Inwood Hill Park Red-tailed Hawks, St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

I took a visit to three of the Manhattan nests on Sunday and found them all with brooding mothers.  (The fourth nest I know about in Manhattan is located at 888 Seventh Avenue, and its location, makes it difficult to determine if the mother is brooding yet.)

Inwood Hill Park

The Inwood Hill female sitting on her nest.
The male (on right) arrives.
The female takes a brief break from sitting on the eggs.
She preens a little bit.
I thought there would be a nest exchange, with the male giving the female a break, but not this time.
He flies off north.
The blur of his wing is on the left.
She settles in keeping an eye out for all of the noisy Blue Jays that are about.
The male returns, and this time we will have an exchange.
He settles down on the nest.
Then the female returns.
And they swap places.
He’s off in a flash.
She settles down onto her eggs.


St. John the Divine

The female was on Gabriel’s horn shortly after I arrived.
She then returns to the nest.
After her tail is tucked in, you can’t see her on the nest.
The male after leaving the nest ends up on Gabriel’s horn.


Fifth Avenue

When I entered the park, Pale Male was on the SE tower of the Beresford.
I only got to see Lola’s tail for a few moments!

It was a great day seeing three pairs of Red-tailed Hawks thrive in Manhattan, each in their own way.