I birded in Central Park on Saturday and Sunday. The fall migration is winding down and it is getting tougher to find birds. Pale Male and Lola have a Cooper’s Hawk and a young Red-tail in their territory, which is mixing up the standard schedule for the pair.
Sunday was a crisp fall day. Highlights included Lola on the Beresford Apartments, a cooperative Black-throated Green Warbler, Winter Wren and Song Sparrow.
Pale Male was already in one of his favorite roost trees when I went to look for him this evening. After a few minutes, Lola arrived to be with him, first landing on his branch and then moving a few feet away to another branch after about a minute.
I wonder if the number of “intruders” in the park this time of year encourage them to sleep together?
The first photo is of Pale Male and the rest are of Lola.
Pale Male was in a few of his favorite trees late this afternoon and early evening. He was in one of his regular spots in a tree on the west side of the Great Lawn when I arrived, moving just for a moment to a tree 100 yards north. He then went to his favorite tree north of Turtle Pond before going to a standard roosting spot at the bottom of Cedar Hill.
Usually, Pale Male is the easier hawk to find and photograph of the 5th Avenue pair, but today Lola was the easiest to find.
I saw her in the morning in the Ramble and in the afternoon on 1040 Fifth Avenue, the Beresford Apartments and the American Museum of Natural History.
Pale Male went “to bed” in this week’s usual spot tonight. Lola flew over to be near him, but kept on going and perched on a tree north of the Met for about ten minutes. She then went to a tree next to Pale Male’s. But she didn’t stay and left going south south along the east side of the Great Lawn, where I lost track of her in the twilight.
When I finally think I understand this pair, they always do something that surprises me. I guess it’s what makes watching them so much fun.
The pictures below are of Pale Male on his roost for the evening.
Pale Male was on the Belvedere Castle flagpole when I arrived at the Great Lawn this evening. He flew off seeming to chase a bird off, while going to his nighttime roost.
