Other Red-tailed Hawks Archives - Page 16 of 29

May 8, 2009December 24, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

RFK Bridge and Unisphere Nests

I made a quick trip out to the RFK Bridge and the Unisphere on Friday. The RFK female was feeding young, but they didn’t pop up into sight, so I stuck out again in my attempt to get a glimpse at them.

The female at the Unisphere was sitting on the nest. It was impossible to tell if she was still sitting on eggs or had hatchlings. The nest is recessed into an I beam, which makes it a great hiding place for youngsters.

I’ll be checking back up on these nests in a few weeks.

April 27, 2009December 24, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria Park – RFK Bridge Nest

I spend early Sunday afternoon and late Monday evening looking for the eyasses (chicks) at the Astoria Park – RFK Bridge (formerly Triborough Bridge) nest without success. It’s clear by the parents behavior, that they’re no longer sitting on eggs, but have hatchlings, but I didn’t see them. I must have missed the feeding each time I went, and if the eyasses are sleeping, they would be too low to see them.

In any event, I do have some nice pictures of the nest and the parents.

Sunday

Monday

April 9, 2009December 24, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Unisphere 2009

Red-tailed hawks are once again nesting on the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, in Queens, New York. This year, they have abandoned the old nest located off the coast of Somalia (fear of pirates?) in the Indian Ocean and built a new nest directly south of Los Angeles, in the Pacific Ocean. The new nest, like the older ones, is on the equator.

The equator of the Unishere is a I-beam, and the female can be completely out of view if she wants to be. I was there at sunset, so the picture quality is poor. I’ll be going back later in the season to see the eyasses.

April 5, 2009December 24, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Highbridge Park Red-tailed Hawks, Inwood Hill Park Red-tailed Hawks, Other Red-tailed Hawks, Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks, Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks, Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

Manhattan Nests

From north to south, we have the following confirmed nesting sites in Manhattan this year: Inwood Hill Park, Highbridge Park (back to the old location, which should be safer than last year’s location), Lower Riverside Park (also in a new and safer location), Fifth Avenue and 888 Seventh Avenue. I visited all of them this weekend. They all seem to be in good shape, with chicks expected within the next few weeks.

Some nests have changed from last year.

There is no sign of a nest below 14th Street, although there have been reports of hawks downtown all winter, including Tompkins Square Park, the World Trade Center construction site, the Court Houses around Center Street, Seward Park, Washington Square Park and the Greenway.

Last year’s nest on Houston Street is not being used again this year. The male from last year’s nest died of Fronce and while hawks have been seen on the Lower East Side all winter, no signs of a new nest has been found.

The St. John the Divine’s pair have both been seen recently but further uptown. Construction continues on the church and they may have moved but no one has found a new nest location. This one is a real mystery.

The Shepard Hall, City College nest looks bigger according to reports, but nest looks unoccupied. The hawks may be nesting somewhere nearby.

Here are pictures of four nests from this weekend:

Inwood Hill Park

Highbridge Park

Lower Riverside Drive

Fifth Avenue

March 14, 2009December 25, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Highbridge Park Red-tailed Hawks, Inwood Hill Park Red-tailed Hawks, Other Red-tailed Hawks, Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks, Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks, Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

Riverside and Broadway

I spent the early afternoon looking at the Riverside Red-tailed Hawk pair on Saturday. There nest is just off the Hudson River near 8st Street and looks great. Last year they laid eggs around mid-March, so the female should start sitting on the nest soon.

Other nests in Manhattan are doing well. Inwood Hill Park, Highbridge Park, St. John the Divine and 5th Avenue nests are doing fine. The Highbridge nest is back to its old spot.

The Central Park South pair is still there but I don’t have any details about their nest. The Houston female lost her mate last year, and may be nesting on the ConEd plant around 14th Street. The pair that was around the City College campus remains a mystery.

Sightings of hawks this winter around the north end of Riverside Park and around the Court House buildings on Center Street make these locations possibilities for new nests this year.

When leaving Riverside Park, check out the American Kestrels that have a scrape at 80th and Broadway. One of them is usually on the building south of Zabar’s or on the church at 79th and Broadway.

January 25, 2009December 24, 2020Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Other Birds, Other Red-tailed Hawks

The Oven

The oven is a cove on the Lake of Central Park. It attracts a good number of birds during each season, including the winter.

Today, there were a number of birds, including a Red-tailed Hawk, a Hermit Thrush, numerous Northern Cardinals, numerous Tufted Titmice, and a Cooper’s Hawk that has been roosting in the same location nearby since at least early January.