Urban Hawks

The afternoon started quietly with one youngster on the nest and the father on 255 West 85th Street. The father came closer being on 530 West End Avenue, but except for some begging things stayed quiet.

In the late afternoon, a sibling appeared on the nest and then soon made two trips to a building on the SE corner of Broadway and 86th Street, making a stop on 255 West 85th Street. It got fed on the SW edge of 257 West 86th Street. During all of this both parents went to Riverside Drive, with the male spending time on the Normandy.

After I packed up my camera, the last youngster to fledge left the eyrie! I had to leave but other say two fledglings eating on 255 West 85th Street and another fledgling chasing pigeons.

When I arrived this afternoon, all three youngsters of the 86th and West End Avenue nest were on the eastern face of the church tower. Their mother was above the Citibank branch at 86th and Broadway, and the father was on 530 West End Avenue.

One fledgling left nest, and every so often one of the hawks on the tower would call for food, but other than that nothing much happened for a few hours.

Then one fledgling, and then a second appeared on top of 530 West End Avenue, with the adult male also making a visit. One fledgling made a few strong flights, possibly following a parent. Eventually, as I was packing up to go home, food was delivered to 530 West End Avenue. Then two birds flew down to the tower. It wasn’t clear, but it looked like two fledglings.

I returned to the nest site after the rain showers on Friday to find all three youngsters still on the nest. They slept and a few were active, flapping about. Then the first fledgling flew without warning to the building across the street.

The second fledgling had quite an adventure this morning. I missed all of the action but heard lots of stories. At some point it was on the steps of the church and managed to fly to each of the buildings at the intersection. When I arrived in the late morning it was on a windowsill of 535 West End Avenue.

Looking around for the other two, I finally found them in a corner of the eyrie.

Two occupants of the apartment where the second fledgling was perched came close to their window and the fledgling flew back to the church tower. It was good timing as it started to rain soon thereafter. I stayed a bit longer staying dry under some building sheds and could continue to see all three. The young falcons didn’t seem to mind the rain, as they didn’t go hide inside the eyrie.

I missed the excitement of the second eyass leaving the nest Thursday morning. It ended up in some barbwire above the rear entrance to 530 West End Avenue on 86th Street. I’m not sure why but someone thought it was injured and pushed it with a stick and it ended up flying a block west to a ledge on 310 West 86th Street.

When I arrived I saw the adult female on one of her normal perches, but she was looking due west. I know to go looking for a fledgling. Quickly I found it on 310 West 86th Street. After about twenty minutes it decided to walk the ledge the building shares with its twin 320 West 86th Street almost to the end on the 320 side, before it decided to hop onto an air conditioner. It would end up staying there for the afternoon and into the evening. I left after 8:30 and it looked like it would be roosting there for the night.

Last year, a fledgling stayed on the same ledge for two days! And another for 36 hours. So, the bird staying in one place shouldn’t alarm anyone at this point. I suspect the parents will lure it to a safer place with food over the next day or two.

A bigger surprise than the second fledgling, which I had expected would happen today, was at the eyrie. I had seen the youngest on the nest a few times and at dusk went looking for it. It was sitting on a ledge. Then out of nowhere, the first fledgling appeared! I had been looking for it most of the afternoon and here it was back on the tower. This happened a few times last year. It looks like its left leg was also recovering which was nice to see. It wasn’t having trouble putting weight on the leg anymore.

So, when I left for the evening, I had seen the whole family and everyone looked great.

Today, there were two youngsters on the nest and one youngster using buildings south of the eyrie. The fledgling continues to have problems putting weight on its left leg, but is a great flyer. It went to the water tank of a The Claremont at 255 West 85th Street, which is a 22 story building.

Everyone got fed and the parents were very active keeping track of the fledgling and exploring the neighborhood.