Category: Other Birds

927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Other Birds, Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks, St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Five Red-tailed Hawk Saturday

On Saturday, I had a slow start.  I started in the Ramble trying to chase down the White-crowned Sparrow without much luck.  I then walked to Turtle Pond and found a cute group of Buffleheads among some Mallards and Northern Shovelers. 

Then I saw a hawk flying south of the Beresford.  It was Lola, the Fifth Avenue female.
She landed on a water tower on south side of West 77th Street.  The building is just west of the New York Historical Society.  After about 15 minutes, she flew due east.
I thought she had gone to the Model Boat Pond, so I walked there.  When I arrived I saw that Pale Male was on a building two blocks south of the nest location.  (Lola may have stopped in the Ramble for a late lunch.)
Pale Male posed for pictures and then flew off towards the Met.
It was such a nice day, I thought I would look to see what the Central Park South hawks were up to.  Charlotte was on the Essex House sign.
The nest still looks to be in good shape.
The Essex House boiler could use an overhaul.
Soon Charlotte went NW and circled around and then above the Trump International Hotel and Tower.
Then she landed on the top of a construction crane on a new building being built on Central Park West between 61st and 62nd.
Junior soon joined her.  If I got it right, she’s on the top and he’s below her.
Charlotte
Junior
Having seen four of the six building-breeding Manhattan Red-tailed Hawks, I went up to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.  My luck ran out, as I was only able to see the male of the Cathedral pair.  However, five out of six isn’t that bad!
The Cathedral nest looked to be in good condition as well.
927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Other Birds

Friday in the Park

I made it to the park on Friday!  Finally, a sunny day where I didn’t have to work. I spent a few hours trying to photograph a White-crowned Sparrow without success.  I did see it a few times, but just as I tried to take a picture it would be scared off by a passing tourist.

Lola spent at least an hour in the afternoon on the NE tower of the Beresford.
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Mute swans arrived on The Lake a few weeks ago.  They are very good at getting food from tourists.  I wonder if they spend the summer on an urban lake in Canada?
927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Other Birds

Late Saturday Afternoon with Pale Male and Lola

There’s no doubt fall has arrived in New York.  It was in the low 40’s, the leaves have turned to wonderful fall colors.  Another sign of fall has arrived is the return of Buffleheads to the Reservoir.

Male Bufflehead
Female Bufflehead
After visiting the Reservoir, I walked south and ran into Pale Male on the Northwest corner of the Met.  Is he trying to avoid being seem on the surveillance cameras?
After about twenty minutes he moved about 20 feet, so he would have a good view of an area alongside the transverse, where there are rodents.  The cold weather had him fluffed up to stay warm.
After about twenty minutes, he flew off the Met and caught a mouse.  He flew 200 feet to catch his prey.  He must have incredible vision.
After eating, he went back to the Met.
Lola went up 5th Avenue…
…landing on a building around 88th Street and 5th Avenue.
Pale Male left the Met and looked to settling in for the night.
Lola moved to a building two blocks south of where she was…
…and then she flew east.
Pale Male followed.  We lost her, but found his roost for the evening in the East Pinetum.
As I let the park, there was a full moon in a clear, crisp fall sky.
Other Birds

Daylight Saving Time

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been unable to make it into the park after work before it gets dark, and certainly won’t be able to now that we’re on standard time.  So, I wanted everyone to know that this blog is only going to have weekend updates until late winter.

Other than it getting dark so early, late fall is an interesting time in the park.  The fall migration is ending, but there are still plenty of things to discover including interesting waterfowl and raptors.

A pair of swans are on the Lake, lots of uncommon Central Park birds are on the Reservoir including a Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck and Hooded Mergansers.  Raptors continue to migrate south over the park with sightings of Osprey, Cooper’s Hawks, Eagles and Turkey Vultures.

The leaves have turned to wonderful colors over the past few weeks.  If you have a chance, take a walk in the park before it’s too late.

Below are pictures of a Pied-billed Grebe from Saturday on the Reservoir.

Pied-billed Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Other Birds

Blue Grosbeak “Whiskers”

The Blue Grosbeak I photographed on Sunday, had a set of “whiskers” over the inner portion of its beak.  My first guess was that the function of these “whiskers” was that they help the bird position seeds in its beak while husking them.

I’ve done a number of searches on the Internet, to try and learn the scientific name and purpose of these “whiskers” without finding any information.  If you know of a source of information about this anatomical feature, please leave a comment.

Blue Grosbeak Rictal Bristles