Urban Hawks

May 26, 2024May 26, 2024Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks

Fledge at Governors Island

Sometime late last night or early this morning the surviving nestling fledged to the rear of the nearby St. Cornelius Chapel. It spent the afternoon in the gutters of the chapel. The mother visited twice while I was there, bring prey on the second trip. Both parent made flights by the church to check on the fledgling.

It was great to see that the fledgling had safely made it off the nest. Fledge days can be dangerous, and thankfully this one wasn’t. May this fledgling have a safe and uneventful time this summer on the island.

May 25, 2024May 26, 2024Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

NYAC on Saturday

I only had about an hour after dinner to watch the New York Athletic Club nest. The mother was on the eastern shield of the building asking as a target for the Blue Jays that harass the hawks in the late evening when I arrived. At some point the father brought in prey, landing and leaving in under a minute. The mother then came in to help feed the eyasses and then hopped up on the unused mount for a flag pole. At this point it was getting too dark to take anymore pictures. I’m looking forward to the young hawks being in the southern section of Central Park this summer.

May 25, 2024May 26, 2024Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks

Ready to Go at Governors Island

Saturday was a lot of fun at Governors Island. The surviving eyass was incredibly active and looked ready to fledge a number of times. It had a long tail, which seems to be the last thing to grow in, was actively jumping around the railings of the fire escape and the parents were leaving food up on the gutter of the building enticing it to leave.

May 25, 2024May 25, 2024Tompkins Square Red-tailed Hawks

Tompkins Square Park on Friday

The park was very enjoyable today. It was quiet and when I got there the whole family was on the nest. There wasn’t much activity on the nest but I got to see good looks at everyone.

May 23, 2024May 23, 2024Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Seeing the Father at NYAC

I’ve been having a hard time finding the father, so it was great to see him for a few hours on the Essex House sign and then Hampshire House. He is so much lighter than the mother.

The mother perched two floors above the nest for at least an hour tonight. She was helping to keep the Blue Jays that attack the nest area, distracted and attacking her. The Blue Jays aren’t doing any harm, they’re just annoying. But I can understand, why they are so annoying. The father raided a jay nest last night and took a nestling.

May 23, 2024May 23, 2024Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

NYAC Red-tailed Hawks

The evening was like many of the others with the mother coming in late in the evening, doing a little feeding and then just watching the eyasses. Before she came in we saw her up on a building across the street from the NYAC being harassed by a House Finch. After she arrived, I saw the father raid a Blue Jay nest.

The mother had turned her back on the eyasses to watch the park view, and one of the eyasses pulled and puller on her tail to get her to turn back around. Kids!