Other Red-tailed Hawks Archives - Page 23 of 29

June 8, 2007December 22, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Unisphere

I learned more about the history of the Unisphere nest. The pair has been at the location for at least five years according to a parks employee. The nest has changed locations, having been on the towers of the NY State pavilion and another location in earlier years. The nest was also on the Unisphere last year, and one of the chicks fell out prematurely and was sent to a rehabilitater but did not survive.

The fledgling hanging out. It isn’t shy enough yet and a family tried to feed it potato chips!

An American Robin decided to give it a hard time for about 45 minutes.

The eyasses woke up and then were very active. I got a report from Richard Fleisher that earlier in the day, one of the young ones had ventured all the way to New Zealand. Should we call branching behavior “globe hopping” at this location?

June 6, 2007December 17, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Red-tailed Hawks Take Over The Globe!

In Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, Red-tailed Hawks have nested in the Unisphere, a 12-story high globe created for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair.

I didn’t know this when I went to Queens this evening however. This is the story…

I received an email this morning that a fledgling Red-tailed Hawk had been wandering on the ground and the benches of Flushing Meadows Park. The letter went on to detail that someone had arranged to put the fledgling in a high tree branch to get it off the ground and in a safer spot. News like this gets me on the next subway train after my work day is over!

I arrived in Queens and walked to the Unisphere. I spotted a parent on the top of the globe. I thought the parents would be near the fledgling in a tree, but would soon find out this hawk was in just the right spot.

I soon heard a group of noisy Robins and Blue Jays and went to take a look. I found a shy fledgling trying to stay out of sight.

It got fed up with the Robins and Blue Jays and moved about the tree. It did a good job of jumping and branching. I didn’t get to see it fly. It may have fledged a few days too early.

I then saw the parent on the Unisphere and then something caught my eye.

A nest. A nest on the unofficial icon of Queens. A nest on the Unisphere!

There were two eyasses on the nest. This brings my count of Red-tailed Hawk babies to 22 for the season, all visited by Metrocard.

Then both parents arrived. One would quickly fly nearby and then off toward the Tennis Complex, and the other would stay and feed the eyasses.

The parent who left quickly, who may be the male.

Once the feeding is over the parent moves to the other side of the globe.

The nest from the outside view. It is a third from the left, just above Indonesia.

The light begins to fade, so I return to Manhattan.

June 5, 2007December 22, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

McCarren Park, Brooklyn

I went to McCarren Park in Brooklyn today to follow up a report sent to Rob Jett from a friend who plays baseball in the park.

Within minutes of arriving, I found this hawk on lights for the baseball field. It made a hunting attempt across the street. (The 36 acre park is divided up into strips with north/south streets going through the park.)

It ended on a low branch perfect for taking portraits.

It then flew off and I lost track of it.

June 2, 2007December 18, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Astoria Park

The Astoria Park nest was having a lazy afternoon in the hot weather.

The bright yellow prey surprised me. An escaped Budgerigar or some nestling?

June 2, 2007December 22, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Briarwood, Queens

I visited the Briarwood, Queens nest today. It still had one eyass on the nest and a fledgling exploring nearby. The mother was visible, but I didn’t see the father. This was my first visit to the location.

These two bring my count for Red-tailed Hawk youngsters to 19 for the season. Wow! Red-tails are doing wonderfully this season. Briarwood also marks my first fledgling sighting of the season.

For more about these hawks and their history, visit Jeffrey Kollbrunner’s Nature Gallery.

The Audubon web camera is on the left and the nest on the right.

I didn’t expect to be able to find the fledgling, but out of the blue, it appeared within twenty feet of the nest.

I had expected to have a hard time. The area surrounding the nest includes a few highways. Usually, if all else fails, you can hear a fledgling beg for food. In this location however, hearing the fledgling will be difficult because of all the traffic noise.

The fledgling in a tree. It jumped/flapped awkwardly from branch to branch. It still has lot of learning to do.

I lost the fledgling for about fifteen minutes and then rediscovered it by accident.

It did something very frightening. It explored the razor wire.

I was so worried, but did my best to stay still and calm. I didn’t want to startle it and cause it to injure itself.

It looked caught for a few long seconds, but did a good job maneuvering.

I just hope once was enough. I don’t want to watch this again.

Luckily, it soon moved to a much safer place.

If there was a caption writing contest, I’m sure the winner would be “Mom, why aren’t we on the dollar bill?”

May 30, 2007December 22, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks

Fordham University, Bronx, New York

The Fordham University Rose Hill campus has a nest on Collins Auditorium. This is the nest location’s second year. Both years have been successful with three eyasses last year, and three this year.

Chris Lyons and Dr. Rich Fleisher both work at Fordham and send regular reports via Rob Jett’s City Birder Blog and Dr. Richard Fleisher’s page at Fordham.

The parents have been nicknamed Hawkeye and Rose. Alan Alda is an alumnus of Fordham, so Hawkeye is named after Alan Alda’s character on the television program M.A.S.H. Rose, the female is named after the campus.

The campus is a traditional College setting with lawns, gardens and footpaths. The campus is adjacent to Bronx Park, a 718 acre park home to the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Gardens.