Astoria Park, Queens, New York

By D. Bruce YoltonOther Red-tailed Hawks

On Thursday, I followed up on a report from Jules Corkery (via Marie Winn’s blog) of a new Red-tailed Hawk nest in Astoria Park, on the Triborough Bridge.  I can confirm that there are two photogenic eyasses at the site.

The nest is located on the southern side of the Astoria portion of the bridge. The nest is easily accessible via public transportation. Astoria Park site is a short walk from the second to the last stop on the N/W subway line.  Except for the stairs up and down the elevated line, it is a nice flat six block walk.

Take the N or W to the Astoria Blvd. stop, exit to Hoyt Avenue South and walk towards the river.  At 21st Street is the entrance to Astoria Park, walk in and go to the middle of the tennis courts.  Look over to the bridge.  You’ll see a large concrete structure that anchors the suspension cables.  On the right corner below the roadway you’ll see the nest on a large drain pipe.

When I first arrived at the nest, I went right under it.  Within ten minutes of photographing the nest, a Police Officer threatened to give me a summonses for taking pictures.   Under current regulations while on MTA Bridge property, photography is prohibited.  I was very near the nest, so I may have been on MTA property when I was threatened with a summons.

However, it seems that photographing the bridge from public property is perfectly legal, so taking pictures from within Astoria Park would be perfectly fine. 

The ACLU has a suit against the city pending about ambiguous policies toward photographers.  It seems that the department has ambiguous policies which led to the accidental harassment of photographers.  I think my situation was similar to the problems birders have been having with scopes on tripods in city parks.  It’s too bad well meaning Police Officers are stepping over the line, due to ambiguous policies and poor training.

I’m going to be careful while in Astoria and keep my 500mm lens out of sight of the guard station.  I understand the paranoia in these post 9/11 times, but I thought we lived in the USA and not the old USSR!

The nest is next to a pigeon roost.  Imagine your meals flying by every few minute!
The kids were asleep when I arrived.
Two sleeping eyasses.
One perks up.
A preening eyas on the left.
The adult female flies off toward the Astoria Park track.
She’s impressive.  Note the light color of her eyes.
She does some half-hearted hunting on the underside of the bridge.
She scrapes her beak on a railing when she returns.
She flies off to a stadium light on the other side of the track.
She then returns to the nest.
Where she is greeted by two young ones.