Governors Island Update
The Governors Island nest, which is above The Yard, a playground on the island, has two eyasses and seems to have hatched 7-10 days ago. I saw two visits from the male and two feedings late in the afternoon.
Category: Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks
Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks
This year the Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks have nested on a fire escape above play:groundNYC’s The Yard, a children’s playground. The female was on the nest and the male kept watch from the flagpole of St. Cornelius Chapel.
Governors Island
The Governors Island Red-tailed Hawk nest is proceeding along with two eyasses maturing nicely. They were starting to do some jump-flapping but mostly sat quietly while I was visiting mid-day. Both parents came in to watch them from the Coast Guard tower near the nest.
Governors Island Red-tailed Hawk Nest
I finally had a chance to go out to Governor’s Island and see the new and very active Red-tailed Hawk nest. It has two eyasses and is easily seen as it is fairly low. It’s much easier to watch than the Coast Guard tower location that had been used in past years.
Governors Island — Now Open Year-Round
The mayor and the Trust for Governors Island announced that the island will be open to the public year-round, and increased ferry service. While the island was monitored by NYC Audubon, during the off-season it was off limits to the majority of birders. So, this is great news and I look forward to going out to the island in the late fall and early spring.
Late July, Early August
I’ve been birding on and off in the last two weeks, usually without a camera. It’s a quiet time with the first signs of fall migration just beginning. (I had two American Redstarts and a Northern Waterthrush yesterday.)
I have shot some snippets of what I’ve been seeing including:
- Central Park’s resident Barred Owl who has stayed longer than anyone expected, about 10 months at this point.
- The fledgling on Governor’s Island who is now a fantastic flier, exploring the island with ease.
- Laughing Gulls on Central Park’s Reservoir. While they aren’t rare in the NYC area, it was a fun surprise to see them in the park.
- One of the El Dorado Peregrine Hawks eating dinner.
- Pale Male looking a bit scruffy, as he is molting.
