Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Peregrine Falcons At My Office

At lunch time, I got a call from my company’s Chief Operating Officer.  Two Peregrine Falcons had joined our COO for lunch.  They were both on a 20th Floor window ledge of the Flatiron Building.  I only had my iPhone camera but the pictures came out fine.

There were two birds.  One bird was banded (a standard silver band on the right leg and green bands on the left) and the other bird wasn’t.  Both looked to be juvenile birds.  It seemed strange that two juvenile birds wouldn’t both be banded if they were together, so I’m a little puzzled.

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Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Sunday with the Central Park Fledgling

I only had an hour to visit the park on Sunday.  But I did get to see the 888 Fledgling. 

She was in a tree right next to a dugout.  Hundreds of park visitors waliked right past her.
She has a band on her right foot.  Banding has been done for over one hundred years in the United States.  It’s exciting that we finally have a banded fledgling in Manhattan.  If we could possibly band more of them, we might be able to figure out the habits of Red-tailed Hawks born in the city.  Do they end up in other urban areas?  Do they disperse for a season or two and then return after their “walkabout”?  It would be great to learn more about the habits of urban Red-tails. 
Although, the pure white feathers are fewer each day, there still is some pure white fluff.
A failed attempt at a squirrel.
Fun in a puddle.
She moved to a slightly safer spot.
Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Saturday with the Central Park Fledgling

Saturday with the Central Park fledgling was a quiet afternoon of a bird resting in the hot weather followed by some fun in the early evening.

The fledgling taking it easy for the afternoon watching baseball and softball games.  A real North American.
One of the parents on the CNN sign.
She stayed in two trees for about four hours.
I went up to see if I could find Pale Male and returned to find the fledgling who had a squirrel trapped under a rock.
The squirrel was able to out wait the fledgling, who flew away.
She went south about a block…
… looked for the squirrel again…
and ended up in a tree in the middle of a playground.  She’s the small speck, just to the left of Hampshire House.
The perch may have been in the middle of crowds of people but it was American Robin free.
After a bit, she made a trip west trying first for a squirrel
And then sat in a tree with a view of one of her parents on a Central Park West and 66th Street apartment building.
After awhile, she went after a flock of pigeons, and we lost her.
As I left the park, her parent was still watching over her.
On a high rooftop on Central Park West and 66th Street.
Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Charlotte and the Fledgling

I arrived around 7:30 to find American Robins and the 888 Seventh Avenue having a minor war.  Junior had taken a Robin nestling, and the adult Robins were going after him.  He moved north and south.  While others looked for the fledgling, I looked for Junior but found Charlotte instead.

Charlotte
Charlotte
Charlotte
The fledgling had been in a tree near the area rock climbers practice south of the ball fields.  The fledgling jumped on the rocks…
… found a puddle and took a few drinks.
The fledgling then settled into a tree for the night on the south edge of the ball fields.
Goodnight!
Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

888 Seventh Avenue Fledgling Growing Up

The girl who seemed so shy when she first entered the park is growing up.  Her range has increased, she’s hunting and has lost the awkwardness she had when she first entered the park.

I caught up to her while she was engaged in stick play.
This helps her with her hunting skills.
She went after a squirrel but missed it.  She’s flying 250-500 feet without problems.
She moved to a tree with a clear view of both the Essex House and CNN signs, at dusk.  I wonder if she wanted to be able to see her parents in the morning.
She did a lot of panting and kept her wings open a lot.  It was over 90 degrees.
Although I left before she went to sleep, what seemed to be her last perch was a very thin tree branch.  I wonder if she roosted here, on a branch too thin for raccoons?