Category: Other Red-tailed Hawks

Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria Fledgling Vs. The Blue Jays

I arrived to a quiet afternoon in Astoria.  One of the parents was on the bridge and the eyas still on the nest was making practice jumps around the nest and up to a bracket on the bridge.

The quiet was short lived however.  The fledgling appeared in a tree south of the tennis courts.  It was immediately mobbed by two noisy Blue Jays.
They kept attacking and dive bombing.
The fledgling lost its grip and slid down the branch.
It ended up in a smaller tree.
The Blue Jays kept at it.

At some point the fledgling had enough and flew south to a residential block of Astoria.  I walked around the block looking for it, but couldn’t find it.  I think it was on a flat roof that wasn’t visible from the street.  With the excitement over, I returned to Manhattan.

Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria Park’s First Fledge

The Astoria Park nest had its first fledge on Saturday around 2 p.m.  The fledgling went to the equipment depot under the bridge near the nest.  It was the safest place to fledge.  Good choice young one.

While I was there it spent its time hopping from truck to truck.
Caution, flying hawk.
There was a Blue Jay that would come by every ten minutes.
It hit the young hawk a few times.
The first day at school can be tough.
The eyas still on the nest looked on and seemed ready to join its sibling.
One of the parents landed in a tree near the nest…
… and then went to the north side of the bridge.
So, another successful nest in New York City.
Enjoy life off the nest!
Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria Park

The Astoria Park eyasses are 45 days old, so they should be fledging soon.  These pictures were taken on Monday.

Look, I can stretch.
I can fly, well almost.
We get to explore Astoria soon!
It was close to bed time.
For the parents too.  They soon moved off to roosts for the night.
Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria Park

All was quiet when I arrived.  The eyasses were settling down after a feeding.

The mother keeps watch about 20 feet to the left of the nest.
One kid has already settled down and is joined by the second.  Hawk watching isn’t always exciting.
The biggest excitement of the evening was this Blue Jay who gives the mother a hard time.
So much so, that she moves…
…40 feet to the right of the nest.
Other Red-tailed Hawks

Flushing Meadows

On Sunday afternoon, I went to the Unisphere.  Only one eyas was on the nest.  I saw both parents, but none of the fledglings. 

One of the parents on top of the globe.
The single remaining eyas on the nest.
The parents can watch the sorrounding area and the nest at the same time from this high spot.  I also saw for the first time the mother fly to the nest from the top of the globe through the hollow center of the sphere rather than around it.
I saw both parents circle the area between the globe and the NY Pavilion.