Hawk watching during nesting season can be very slow.  On Saturday afternoon, I watched the St. John the Divine nest for over two hours.   I only saw the female for a few minutes while she rearranged her eggs.  There was no sign of her mate during the two hours.

I spent the early evening on the east slope of the Great Hill (NW Central Park), following up reports of a sighting of owls there four days ago.  It was slow going with no owls in sight and fairly quiet.  My best bird was a very vocal Carolina Wren.

When dusk arrived, a young Red-tailed hawk landed in a Great Hill tree, and then stayed for a few minutes.  It took off and made the begging sound young Red-tails make.  I followed it to the West Drive, where I saw one hawk leaving (a parent?), and a hawk perched (the fledgling?), who then flew off back towards the Great Hill.

I was able to watch it circle the hill, and then head north.  I can’t be 100% certain but there’s an excellent chance the young hawk was the healthy Cathedral fledgling.  (The other Cathedral fledgling had lead poisoning and has a lame foot.)

One of the fledglings got itself into trouble and was taken to the Animal Medical Center.  It has lead poisoning and a lame foot.  It is now in the Horvath’s care.

I searched Morningside park for other fledgling, worrying about its health.  I gave up, and as I walked east on 110th Street, I heard someone call my name.  It was Lincoln Karim, who had an adult and a fledgling in view on different buildings.  The adult was at 108th and Manhattan Avenue and the fledgling was on the lower roof of the building at the NW corner of 110th and Fredrick Douglas Boulevard.

After about fifteen minutes, the fledgling got up, and flew to Central Park.  We could hear the robins and jays mobbing the fledgling, but couldn’t find it.  At dusk, with almost no light, Lincoln found the hawk.  He had put his camera away, but was very kind to point mine at the hawk.  I couldn’t find it on my own.

So, tonight Central Park has a fledgling Red-tailed Hawk!

I made brief visits to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on Saturday and Sunday.  The whole family seems to be doing well.  The kids are enjoying the scaffolding, and on Sunday the parents spent time on statue of the Archangel Gabriel.

Although I’m sure the sibling and the parents were around, we could only find one of the fledglings this evening.  It was near the nest moving above and beside it.

Between and during the thunder storms, I was able to watch a parent and one of the fledglings up at the Cathedral tonight.  We could hear begging from what might have been the second fledgling from one of the chapel roofs, but it was hard to be sure.

One thing I do know for sure, this is a beautiful place to take photographs.