Thursday night, I found the fledglings soaring above the trees learning how to ride the wind and use a tucked in position.  One glided over the highway and attracted a falcon, most likely an American Kestrel, who gave it a warning pass.  This attracted the mother, who kept an eye out for trouble.

On Wednesday night, a familiar scene unfolded.  Dinner delivered with a fledgling dropping it to the ground and eating it there.

This evening one of the fledglings went down on the ground and into the bushes near the highway for a few minutes.  In a move only a young fledgling would do, it flew right into a group of people.

The group of experienced hawk watcher knew not to force the bird up the hill and towards the highway, so the group gave the fledgling lots of room to roam.  These young birds tend to do silly things when crowded and it was great to see such a responsible response.

One could have interpreted the birds behavior as proof that the young birds are fearless and undisturbed by people.  But I don’t think this is the case.  We’ve seen year after year, fledglings just off the nest be unaware of danger, just like a toddler, only to be more sensible as they grow older.

The father brought a rodent in for the fledglings to eat this evening.  Amazingly, he cried out in the same voice as the fledglings use to beg for food to announce that food had arrived!  I never knew the parents could make that sound!  (The mother did not participate in the feeding.)

It’s nice to see that the two fledglings have been weaned from expecting food at the nest.  The fledglings went to sleep in low branches near the 2009 nest and the parents went to sleep in their regular roosts.

The late afternoon started slow, with one fledgling on the nest and one in a Cherry tree at the water’s edge.  The one in the Cherry tree had been there for three hours, and the fledgling in the nest was making a liar out of me.  (I had told everyone who asked about what would happen after the hawks left the nest, that fledglings don’t normally go back to the nest.)

Once it started to cool down, the action started with both youngsters flying from tree to tree.  As it got close to sunset, one played on the ground, while its sibling begged for food.  Eventually the father arrived with a rodent, the mother prepared it, and one of the fledglings ate it. The feeding took place on a tree, nicknamed the picnic table, because it has a good level surface to eat on.

The fledgling did eat some of rodent before dropping it on the ground.  The mother went down to look for it but came back empty handed.  It was already fairly dark.  Both parents stood guard while the feeding was taking place.

After the aborted feeding, each hawk then ended up going to the parents roosting trees, with one of the fledglings continuing to cry for food as darkness fell.  (For those worried about the crying, this is normal at this stage.  Even recently fed fledglings love to cry for more.)

When the Riverside Park eyasses were on the nest, hawk watching was relaxed.  There wasn't much we could do that would bother the hawks.

But now that they're off the nest, we need to be responsible bird watchers.  This means doing what we can to reduce the stress on these young hawks and keep them safe.

It also means that those of us who are experienced bird watchers must act as role models for all the new hawk watchers this year.  Please politely reach out to those who get too close, encircle the hawks when they are on the ground or draw too big a crowd.

I know it's hard for New Yorkers to be diplomatic but each of us can easily influence a few people.  Simple statements can get great responses, like "Did you know this is the fledgling's first week of flying.  We really should stay on the path. Do you want to use my binoculars?" or "Aren't these hawks wonderful.  You know if we don't stay still and relatively quiet, they'll fly away.  Do you know their history?".