Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Riverside Church Peregrine Falcons 2007

I visited Riverside Church after work to see how their pair of Peregrine Falcons were doing.  Both were visible, one perched on the northwest corner, and one flying around the church tower when I arrived.  I hope this is a sign that their eggs have hatched, but we won’t know for a few weeks.

Update: Robert Schmunk saw two nestlings peaking out from the Falcon’s scrape on Sunday, June 3rd.  So, we’ll have fledglings within a few weeks.

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Owls

Thursday, May 31st

I went up to the Pool this evening and was unable to find a single owl.  The tree leaves are just too dense to have any hope of finding them.

This season was very satisfying.  The parents and the fledgling were a wonderful group to observe and I learned a great deal about Eastern Screech-Owl behavior.

Until next year, back to hawks for the rest of spring…

Other Red-tailed Hawks

Fordham University, Bronx, New York

The Fordham University Rose Hill campus has a nest on Collins Auditorium.  This is the nest location’s second year.   Both years have been successful with three eyasses last year, and three this year.

Chris Lyons and Dr. Rich Fleisher both work at Fordham and send regular reports via Rob Jett’s City Birder Blog and Dr. Richard Fleisher’s page at Fordham.

The parents have been nicknamed Hawkeye and Rose.  Alan Alda is an alumnus of Fordham, so Hawkeye is named after Alan Alda’s character on the television program M.A.S.H.  Rose, the female is named after the campus.

The campus is a traditional College setting with lawns, gardens and footpaths.  The campus is adjacent to Bronx Park, a 718 acre park home to the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Gardens.

Collins Auditorium.  The nest is located on the left side of the pediment and the eyasses can walk along the entire ledge.
The three eyasses and their mother, Rose.  These are the fifteen, sixteenth and seventieth eyasses, I’ve seen in New York City this season.  Thanks to all of the individuals, who made visiting these sites possible.
Liftoff
They’re doing lots of wing flapping, with plenty of room to practice on the long, wide ledge.
Hawkeye on a lighting fixture, a quarter mile from the nest.
Rose flew to a building across Fordham Avenue in the early evening.
All three keep track of a Monk Parakeet as it flew by, including the eyas at the back who is peaking out on the left.
As it got cooler, more wing flapping.
All three eyasses.
Other Red-tailed Hawks

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

I asked Rob Jett, who has one of the best birding blogs on the Internet, City Birder, if he would give directions to the Prospect Park nest.  He said sure, but that he would need to take me in person.

Once he took me, I understood why.  There are only two small windows, from two locations to see the nest.  The nest is in the center of this photograph.
One eyas was partially visible when we arrived.
We went to the alternate viewing location and couldn’t see any activity, so we returned to the original spot.
There are two eyasses on the nest.  One on the far left partially obscured by the large branch and a second eyas on the right.
Here the eyas on the left has moved slightly, and the one on the right has its eye closed.
City nests on buildings are looking more and more wonderful everyday.  These tree nests are too hard to photograph!
Another shot of the duo.
A solo shot of the one that had been on the right.

These two eyasses bring the eyasses I’ve seen in person and photographed to 14 for the season!  All on one Metrocard.

Location        No.
Inwood Hill2
Highbridge Park3
St. John the Divine3
Astoria Park, Queens2
Green-Wood, Brooklyn2
Prospect Park, Brooklyn2
 14 Total
Other Red-tailed Hawks

Green-Wood on Memorial Day

Green-Wood commemorated their fallen Civil War soldiers on Memorial Day.  They are in the midst of a research and restoration project to provide new tombstones for their Civil War soldiers buried in the Cemetery.

Canons and gun fire would startle the Red-tails later in the morning.  Both parents took up positions to keep an eye on the crowd.  The military section of the cemetery is very close to the nest.
I forgot to take a wide shot of the nest yesterday.  It is in the tree in the middle of the photograph.  The cemetery welcomes birders, but I was reminded that one should respect the primary purpose of the cemetery.  This includes leaving an area, if anyone seems uncomfortable.
A tighter shot of the nest.  If you look closely, you’ll see an eyas standing.
The nest has a great view being on a high hill, but it looks to be a bit sunny.
The mother in a tree about 100 feet away from the nest.
A photograph to show wing development.
The first canon shot startles the mother and she returns to a perch at the top of the nest tree.
What are you doing up there Mom?
A Northern Mockingbird.
The hawks get used to the noise and visitors.  This must be a big change from what must be a very quite location.
Other Red-tailed Hawks

Green-Wood

I went to Green-Wood Cemetery for the first time on Sunday.  It looks like a great place for a Red-tailed Hawk family.

Big Mama on her nest.
Junior trying to raid a nest while being harassed by a Mockingbird.
The Mockingbird was relentless and Junior moved on.
Junior is Big Mama’s new mate, not one of the young ones, by the way.
A close up of Big Mama’s very light eyelids.  I thought they were lighter than I had remembered other Red-tails having, but I reviewed some old photographs and they’re the same as other Red-tails.
Her kids have them too.
The nest has two chicks.
While we were there a Turkey Vulture passed through.  Both parents were quick to fly off and escort the Vulture out of the area.
The Turkey Vulture leaving the area!
They eyasses finally wake up and become active.
Big Mama returns to a nearby tree.
Before returning to the nest.