Randalls Island

On the Northeast light post of the soccer field north of Icahn Stadium is the 2013 Randalls Island Red-tailed Hawk nest.  The female of the nest was sitting on the eggs.  She sat low on the nest and when she settled in after getting in did the back and forth wiggle a brooding mother does.

So, I don’t thing we’ve had a hatch yet out on Randalls Island.

20130505RTHARI01
20130505RTHARI02
20130505RTHARI03
20130505RTHARI04
20130505RTHARI05

Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center

Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center is at 106th and Fifth Avenue.  This winter I’ve frequently seen a hawk on top of the building.  I didn’t think much of it, since we usually have a few wintering hawks in the north part of the park.

Today, I was surprised to see not one but two hawks on the building.  Before I could get my camera out, the male flew off, circled the hill with the compost heap, and returned to the building and copulated with the female.

My first thought was these could be the Central Park West hawks?  But both seem lighter both in eye color and in chest banding.  The couple looks young.  Anyone seen nest building on upper Fifth Avenue?

20130414RTHA02
20130414RTHA03
20130414RTHA05
20130414RTHA06
20130414RTHA07
20130414RTHA08

Best and Worst of Times

On the day that the Washington Square Hawks had their first egg hatch, the Central Park West hawks gave up on their 322 Central Park West nest.

Tonight, I first found one of the hawks on the back of 350 CPW, on a ledge on 94th Street.  The hawk left the perch and when I got back to CPW, the two hawks were copulating on a building on 93rd Street.  Then the female went off to a tree in the park.

We’ll see what happens.  The hawks look to be building a new nest on a different location on 350 CPW. 

20130412RTHA01
20130412RTHA02
20130412RTHA03
20130412RTHA04
20130412RTHA05