This time of year, it’s not uncommon to see Pale Male hunting before going to roost up around the 85/86th Street Transverse.  Tonight, he caught a rat near the south gate house of the reservoir and ate it in the east Pinetum.  After his meal, he went to roost in a favorite spot in the Pinetum.

Pale Male was on one of his favorite trees this afternoon and into the early evening.  The tree is on Cedar Hill in the high seventies on the east side of the park. Many hawk watchers call it the feeding tree because Pale Male uses it to leave food for his mates or fledglings, as well as a tree he himself eats in.

He’s molting, so he looks a little rough around the edges this time of year.

For those joining us late, Pale Male and Octavia’s youngster’s got into trouble this year.  One is at a rehabilitator’s getting care, one was found dead on a park drive and one is still in the park. 

The one still in the park has been visibly sick but not sick enough to be caught despite the best efforts of the Central Park Conservancy and the Urban Park Rangers, whose actions last week included the use of a Cherry Picker.  (It would be good to keep this in mind when folks tell you the Conservancy or the Rangers are evil.  They actually have great staff and go the extra mile to support the hawks in the park.)

So, those of us who where concerned about this fledgling, tried without success to find it on Saturday.  Lucky, I was able to find it on Sunday afternoon, southeast of Turtle Pond.  Much to everyone’s surprise it looked normal, without any of the droopy eyes or lethargy we saw on Friday.  Hopefully it is recovering, but only time will tell.  Unfortunately, some birds appear to recover, but relapse once they resume hunting and eating.  Let’s hope for the best.

Pale Male and Octavia’s children all became sick over the last ten days, with one being captured and send to the Horvaths, one being found dead on one of the park drives, and one looking sick but not sick enough to be captured.

The photographs below are of the fledgling who is sick and thus far has avoided capture, who sat all afternoon in a tree to the west of the Maintenance Shed around 79th Street in Central Park.

There’s a little section of the park below the Met and above the 79th Street transverse that is a favorite spot for Pale Male to hunt and eat in.  Today one of this year’s offspring was eating a bird in a tree just 15 feet from Fifth Avenue. 

The three fledglings were having a great time flying from tree to tree and calling for food whenever they say their father fly by at Fifth Avenue.  It was a delight to watch them all, at times from the same viewing location.