This evening was windy (which resulted in some camera shake) but I was able to watch the parents and their eyass without any problems. The eyass has changed from white to gray over the last few days. It’s growing up fast.
The Washington Square Eyass (young hawk) is finally old enough to be seen from the park. It takes a feeding or luck but the youngster is visible if you are patient. Tonight there was no late night visit from Bobby.
I got to watch two feedings from the female, and also got to see Bobby visit the nest and a few perches in Washington Square this evening.
It looks like the last egg will not be hatching at Washington Square. While this is better than last year, when two eggs didn’t hatch and the only eyass had issues with feather growth, it brings into question the health of the environment around NYU. While the park has removed rodenticides, they are still used by the University and other building owners around the park. While many of us has focused on hawk deaths due to secondary rodenticides, fertility problems are also a major problem with these poisons. I’m afraid we might be seeing this issue at Washington Square Park.
Update 4-26-17: The youngest eyass on the nest died within the last 48 hours. Cause of death unknown.
The two eyasses are still too small to see from Washington Square Park but I did get to watch both parents this evening. The third egg is expected to hatch on Saturday.
The NYU Nest has hatched. To watch their live camera, click here. Below are some screenshots of the NYU camera feed.
It was a nice spring evening in Washington Square Park. Bobby, the male was on the Education Building flagpole when I arrived. He went to the nest to give the female a break. She went to a spanish roof at the southwestern side of the park where she preened for about an hour. Her brood patch was visible at times when she faced the wind. While watching her, there was a photogenic Palm Warbler in the park grass.
The female hawk returned to the nest and Bobby then went to the Pless building and appeared to take a chest bath. After about fifteen minutes he few west and we lost him somewhere around the Judson church.
