The story of Dora’s return is getting more interesting. 

Due to a WPIX newscast about an apartment needing repair, we’ve learned of the location of what seems to be Christo and Nora’s (Dora’s replacement while she was in rehab) nest.  It is on an air conditioner on the west façade of 90 Baruch Drive (which is also marked 80 Baruch Drive for reasons only known to the NYC Housing Authority) on the tenth floor.  The nest only seems to have just been started and seems to need more work.  The new nest is about ten blocks southeast of Tompkins Square Park.

We saw Nora eat lunch on a building just opposite the nest in the early afternoon and had glimpses of another hawk, presumably Christo.  Hawk watchers reported seeing them copulate on Friday.

Mid-afternoon a group of us shifted our hawk watching to Tompkins Square Park, where we found Christo and Dora in the same tree.  Dora made a loop of the park, and joined a Cooper’s Hawk in a tree for a few minutes.  Reports came in after I left the park, that Christo and Dora copulated.

I think we’ll need some good photographs to know for sure that Christo is trying to support both females, but it sure looks like it.

Just before I arrived in Tompkins Square Park, Christo had caught a pigeon in the park.  Hawk watchers had expected him to give it to Dora but he left the park with it.  Where he went and where Nora is has been a mystery the last few days.

Then Dora flew to the top of the Christodora building, flew along Avenue B, and ended up hunting and eating on the school ruins east of the Christodora.  After a rooftop visit at 10th Street, she looked like she was going to roost below 7th. And just before dusk Christo made a visit to the nest.

It’s so great to see Dora doing so well.

Dora seems to be doing fine after being returned to Tompkins Square Park.  She was sitting in this year’s nest when I arrived and then went after two crows and possibly a juvenile hawk. She ended up roosting on a fire escape for the night.

Christo was seen briefly and circled over Avenue C and 6th Street for a bit.  It is unclear what he’s going to do about choosing between Dora and Nora (or if he will choose both).

You’ll see in the photographs and video Dora’s droopy left wing.  She seems to be flying well and the wing issue does not seem to be causing here any real issues.  

Dora, the female of the Tompkins Square Park nest has been returned to the park by the Horvaths (NYC’s great Rehabilitators).  She had been in their care for about three months.

I caught up with her after work this evening.  Christo, the male, has already found a replacement mate, who the locals have been calling Nora.  It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few days.   It may end up being something of a soap opera.

Here are some cell phone pictures…

For the last two weeks, the native fledgling in Tompkins Square Park has been lethargic and frequently seen closing its eyes during the day.  Today, much to the relief of the hawk watchers in the park, she was back to normal.

On Saturday, I caught up with the naturally born fledgling in Tompkins Square Park.  She was undisturbed by the Punk Concert in the park.