St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks Archives - Page 19 of 28

April 27, 2007St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Two Feedings

Young eyasses can be too small to see at first, so hawk watchers depend on seeing feeding behavior. There were two such nest reports that came in via email today.

One came from Chris Lyons, who watches the Fordham hawks in the Bronx entitled, I THINK I just watched Rose feeding chicks.

"I was about to give it up as a lunch hour mainly wasted (ONE good shot), when Hawkeye showed up out of nowhere–didn’t see if he was carrying prey, but he probably was. Rose spent quite a good while hunched over the nest, with her head bobbing, and Hawkeye was looking down into the nest with great interest. He stayed a long time. Eventually Rose settled back down on the nest. She’s been taking a lot of breaks lately, without him relieving her. I never saw any chicks, but I wouldn’t expect to at this point…Not 100% sure, but 95%, at least. "

The other came in from Robert B. Schmunk entitled, Cathedral hawk babies.

"Hi all,

It looks like the hawks at Cathedral of St. John the Divine have had an egg hatch, as there was definite feeding behavior going on today just after 7:00.

Tristan had been hunting in the weeds alongide the northwest parking lot at the Cathedral and was observed to fly back to the nest with a mouse. He stayed there for a few minutes, and after he left Isolde was seen to be leaning into the nest in a manner typical of a feeding.

Donna Browne was watching with her scope and probably can provide better details of the feeding. At one point she indicated that it looked like Isolde was provide tidbits in two directions, as if there two nestlings.

Tristan returned with part of another mouse or rat at 7:30, but that appears to have been saved for a later meal."

April 22, 2007December 15, 2020St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

All Wet on 110th

I went by the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on my way home from Inwood Hill. As usual for this nest, you couldn’t see the sitting hawk.

I went down to 110th and saw a hawk on 301 West 110th Street. It looked all wet. It hasn’t rained for two days. Did the nest fill up with water during the Nor’easter and are they incubating the eggs on a water logged nest? Or did the hawk just take a bath somewhere?

Update: Reports from other hawk watchers over the last few days is that both hawks have looked dry. So, the verdict is that all is fine with the nest.

Old School 2 – New School ?

I went up to Inwood Hill Park, in addition to Highbridge yesterday. Although the female was sitting much higher on the nest, I didn’t see any baby hawks. Neither did Robert B. Schmunk who was up there at the same time.

On Saturday evening, I saw that Alice Danna had also been up to Inwood Hill Park (but earlier in the day), and had seen two eyasses with one of the rangers (via Donna Browne’s Palemaleirregulars blog.)

So, I gave it a second try on Sunday and was able to confirm Alice’s report. I didn’t see two eyasses, but the mother’s behavior would make me believe that there was more than the one eyas.

This makes the two “old school” tree nests in Manhattan a success, while we don’t yet know the fate of the three “new school” building nests, 5th Avenue, St. John the Divine and 888 7th Avenue. So the current score is Old School 2 – New School ?.

Below are pictures of the Inwood Hill Park female and her eyas(ses?) There would be no sign of an eyas and then a head would pop up for a few seconds. It was impossible to tell if it was the same eyas or multiple eyasses.

April 10, 2007December 21, 2020Other Red-tailed Hawks, St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

Red-tailed Hawk nests are the order of the day in New York City this year. I think we have at least ten confirmed nests. In the next few weeks, we should have lots of babies all through the city. I’m going on vacation but will be back in time for some Red-tail babies.

Beyond my reporting there are lots of excellent websites in New York with news of Red-tail nests.

Rob Jett’s City Birder blog has news of two nests in Brooklyn and news via Chris Lyons of hawks in the Bronx.

Robert B. Schmunk’s Bloomingdale Village blog has been keeping tabs on the Cathedral Church of St. John hawks and other hawks in Central Park.

Jeffrey Kollbrunner’s website has news of a pair of hawks in Queens.

And if you’re into Peregrine Falcons Ben Cacace blog, NYC Nova Hunter has been keeping track of a pair on Park Avenue and the 55 Water Street webcam is back online.

Plus, James O’Brien’s The Origin of Species blog has news of American Kestrel, Peregrine and Hawk in midtown and Harlem.

March 25, 2007December 28, 2020927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Inwood Hill Park Red-tailed Hawks, St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Sunday Hat Trick

I took a visit to three of the Manhattan nests on Sunday and found them all with brooding mothers. (The fourth nest I know about in Manhattan is located at 888 Seventh Avenue, and its location, makes it difficult to determine if the mother is brooding yet.)

Inwood Hill Park

The Inwood Hill female sitting on her nest.

The female takes a brief break from sitting on the eggs.

I thought there would be a nest exchange, with the male giving the female a break, but not this time.

She settles in keeping an eye out for all of the noisy Blue Jays that are about.

The male returns, and this time we will have an exchange.

St. John the Divine

The female was on Gabriel’s horn shortly after I arrived.

After her tail is tucked in, you can’t see her on the nest.

The male after leaving the nest ends up on Gabriel’s horn.

Fifth Avenue

When I entered the park, Pale Male was on the SE tower of the Beresford.

I only got to see Lola’s tail for a few moments!

It was a great day seeing three pairs of Red-tailed Hawks thrive in Manhattan, each in their own way.

March 24, 2007March 5, 2024Other Birds, St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Park Avenue and St. John the Divine

I started my afternoon on Saturday looking for a pair of Peregrine Falcons on Park Avenue in the upper 40’s. I didn’t have any luck finding them but did see these two Turkey Vultures flying overhead.