Urban Hawks

May 19, 2024May 19, 2024Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Family Reunion at NYAC

Yesterday, the Wild Bird Fund released the female hawk that had been picked up around 72nd Street earlier in the week. She wasn’t seen around the nest on Saturday, so it was unclear if the bird that was released was actually the NYAC female or not.

But today, she was on buildings west of the nest and then came to the nest in the early evening. The nest is attracting a crowd of birders these days, and everyone was saw her come to the nest was happy and relieved.

The adult female still seems to have a few residual effects from her concussion. She was closing her left eye frequently for long periods and sometime would let her left wing drop lower than her right wing. Let’s hope the female continues to recover.

May 19, 2024Governors Island Red-tailed Hawks

One Surviving Eyass at Governors Island

Sadly, one of the eyasses died this past week. The remaining eyass looks good and may fledge within a week. I didn’t have much time to spend at the nest site but the nestling should start jumping up and down to the railing soon.

May 18, 2024May 18, 2024Northwest Central Park Hawks

Quiet Afternoon at 93rd Street

The eyasses were relaxing when I visited the nest with the parents doing a “fly by” to check on them. They’re getting mighty grown up!

May 18, 2024May 18, 2024Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

NYAC on Saturday

A fellow photographer said the male had been making food deliveries all morning, and I saw one be delivered mid-afternoon. So, fingers crossed that these eyasses do well as a single parent family.

May 18, 2024May 18, 2024Riverside Park Red-tailed Hawks

Three at Riverside

I was finally about to see the eyasses at 102nd and Riverside Drive. There are three! It was nice to see them and both parents. There was a feeding and then the eyasses went to sleep. As is common with new nests, this one is a few weeks behind the other nests in the city.

Unless you live in a building on Riverside Drive on a high floor the nest is very difficult to see right now. The nest is in a tree on the west side of the drive almost directly above a streetlight. The light is in the middle of the block between 101st and 102nd. To view the nest you need to go to the lawn on the east side of the drive, between the service road and the drive, and find a window through the trees to see the nest. There is a dirt path, and if you walk just a few steps south of the path you can find the windows. One is almost directly opposite the light and one is about fifteen feet north.

If you look closely, you can see all three eyasses in this image.

May 18, 2024Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

NYAC on Friday

The situation at the NYAC remained unchanged on Friday. We’ll see how things progress in the next week.