When hawk watchers talk of an exchange, they’re talking about the process where the male gives the female a break. When these start, it’s usually safe to assume at least the first egg has been laid. Today, I was fortunate to see Pale Male give Octavia a break of about twenty minutes.
(The exchange was a little odd, in that Pale Male left the nest unattended for about four minutes. He may have been helping Octavia with a territorial dispute out of my view.)
Over the next few weeks, female hawks around New York City will begin spending nights sitting on their nests and will then lay eggs soon thereafter and start the brooding process. Pale Male’s mate Octavia spent the night on the nest tonight. Spring must be right around the corner!
Octavia spent about twenty minutes on her nest this afternoon. Red-tailed Hawks courtship and nest building usually kicks in by Valentine’s Day, so we should starts seeing activity all around the city.
The Sheep Meadow nest blew down this winter and a pair seems to be building a nest on The San Remo.
The day started with Octavia and Pale Male on the Carlyle Hotel. He left before I could get my camera out. But she stayed for about half an hour.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent with the Great Horned Owl. For the first time, I was able to follow her above 79th Street. She was perched in a tree in the Locust Grove and then she flew over the Great Lawn.
Central Park was full of people today. It seemed that everyone who stayed inside on Saturday was in the park on Sunday. Pale Male had just finished eating a bird in the Ramble when I arrived.
The Great Horned Owl, that no on saw for two weeks but was rediscovered a few days ago, was out in the open in the bright sunlight. She did her best to sleep but helicopters, a drone, a Gray Squirrel, a Tufted Titmouse, Pale Male and a Cooper’s Hawk did there best to keep her awake.
As winter finally arrives and we get a light dusting of snow, Central Park has two Snow Geese on the reservoir. Large flocks of snow geese fly over the park during migration, but it’s unusual for there to be a pair hanging out on the reservoir, especially in January. So, they were a nice treat on a gray day.
As I was leaving the park, I ran into Pale Male in the east Pinetum. He looked handsome with a dusting of snow.
