There was a window of a few hours this afternoon where the rain stopped and I could finally get some birding in.  Between the weather and the end of daylight savings time, it’s been difficult to get to the park.

Eastern-screech Owl season begins in a few weeks.  The owls which are very difficult to find in the fall should soon be switching to cavities from daytime tree roosts, where they’ll be much easier to find.  I’m not sure if it’s the lack of tree leaves, the cold weather or the combination that causes the switch.

There had been reports of occasional owl sightings around The Mall and the Sheep Meadow within the last few months, so I did a loop around the area.  No luck finding an owl today, but I did find this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, just north of the Lawn Bowling Greens.

I got an email on Saturday, that two hawks had been found dead at Astoria Park.  Excellent follow up by the Urban Park Rangers in Queens discovered two dead chickens rather than hawks.  Dead chickens have been a problem in the park this summer, most likely from Santería animal sacrifices.  While I’m relieved that the hawks are in good health, I do feel some sadness about the chickens.

Here are pictures of the Astoria hawks.  Two from last weekend and three from this Sunday.

The juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, who spends its time in the North Woods and the Great Hill (and most likely is one of the St. John the Divine offspring) was hunting in The Loch on Saturday afternoon.

It has shocked me that no one seems to be interested in this youngster.  Lots of people complain about how much they miss watching the offspring of Pale Male and Lola.  But, here’s a wonderful juvenile bird only twenty five blocks north of Pale Male and Lola’s nest and no one is watching it.

I hadn’t been able to make it out to Astoria for awhile, but made it out on Saturday.   I was able to see both parents on Triborough Bridge.  They were on opposite sides of the Queens tower of the suspension bridge, just below the roadway level.

I wasn’t able to find the surviving juvenile hawk from this pair nicknamed, Buster by the neighborhood.  The hawk from the Lower East Side that was released into the park and had to be returned to rehab after a case of Frounce has unfortunately died. 

The surviving fledgling from the Lower East Side, was recently released in Astoria Park and nicknamed Hank.  This hawk did not stay in the park.  However, hawk sightings further south along the river closer to the Queensborough Bridge have locals wondering if this hawk might be Hank.

I hadn’t been to Fort Tryon this season, so I thought it would be worth a look.  I ended up getting drenched in a thunderstorm, but I did see one Red-tailed Hawk on a building bordering the park at 196th and Broadway.  It was a second year hawk, with its tail feathers in molt.  It had a few old stripped brown tail feathers and a few new red ones.