Owls

Sunday, April 29th

I was the only regular this evening, but unfortunately a paid “Owl Tour” attracted about fifteen onlookers.  I really had hoped we could keep the owls under the radar for two more weeks, especially given the signs that the parents might be starting work on a second brood.  It’s too bad the owls’ privacy was sold out for five dollars a head.

All three owls were in the Willow again this evening.  The parents together on a center branch and the fledgling far away.   The fledgling seems to be more and more independent each day.

The parents
The parents from the other side.
The fledgling who is looking more and more grown up.
A wing stretch by a parent.
One parent moves slightly to the right.
As usual, the fledgling flies out first.
The returning to the cavity behavior continues.
Peaking out.
Then coming out.
The parent’s head rubbing behavior continues.  (The bright light is from a nearby street light.)
The fledgling comes in to see what’s up.
The fledgling soon leaves.  I believe the parents may want to return to the nest, so I leave to give them space.
Owls

Saturday, April 28th

A repeat of Friday, starting out in the Willow, a brief visit to the nest hole and then they’re off for the night.

Parents
Fledgling
The fledgling is getting vertical stripes.
Head rubbing by the adults.
Trident enters the nest cavity.
They leave the area of the nest cavity and I lose them to the dark.
St. John/Columbia Red-tailed Hawks

Newborns at St. John the Divine

I visited the Cathedral twice on Saturday.  In the late morning, and in the late afternoon. The nest is too high and too deep to see into, so we depend on the behavior changes of the parents as our clue that there are eyasses. 

There were plenty of clues on Saturday, including food being taken into the nest, lots of feeding behavior, etc.

In the morning, when I arrived, no one was to be seen.  Soon the adult male arrived on the Archangel.

Through gaps in the twigs, I thought I saw a chick.
Here I thought I saw a head with two eyes briefly.  But it could be wishful thinking.
The adult female.
I’m not sure who’s flying in.
Both parents on the nest. Note the tail on the left.
The mother then…
…leaves the nest, and I go up north to Highbridge and Inwood Hill.

In the afternoon, I return around 5:00 p.m.

All is quite until the male comes in with a rodent.  He moves to a higher branch and soon goes to the nest.
The male landing on the nest.
He quickly leaves.
His mate watches him leave.
Soon feeding behavior starts.
And then the female settles in.  However, much higher than when she was sitting on eggs.
Inwood Hill Park Red-tailed Hawks

Inwood Hill Park, Week 2

The eyasses are getting bigger up at Inwood.  Unlike my last visit, it’s clear that there are two eyasses.

The leaves are coming out and it will soon be hard to see the nest.
Mother and her two eyasses.
Feeding time.
The mother pulls off pieces of meat and feeds her young.
It’s done every so gently.
A post feeding poop.
The mother settles in and surrounds the chicks.  If I had missed the feeding, I wouldn’t have known there were any chicks!