Three Chicks in Highbridge Nest
The leaves are coming out and it’s becoming harder to find a spot to photograph the Highbridge nest. It might become impossible in a few weeks.
Friday, April 27th
Although the rain had stopped, it was still cool and gray this evening. Jean was already there when I arrived, and Chris with Fig joined us later. We had lots of stretching as they woke up and saw Trident make a quick return to the nest cavity, which was a surprise.
Two Feedings
Young eyasses can be too small to see at first, so hawk watchers depend on seeing feeding behavior. There were two such nest reports that came in via email today.
One came from Chris Lyons, who watches the Fordham hawks in the Bronx entitled, I THINK I just watched Rose feeding chicks.
"I was about to give it up as a lunch hour mainly wasted (ONE good shot), when Hawkeye showed up out of nowhere–didn’t see if he was carrying prey, but he probably was. Rose spent quite a good while hunched over the nest, with her head bobbing, and Hawkeye was looking down into the nest with great interest. He stayed a long time. Eventually Rose settled back down on the nest. She’s been taking a lot of breaks lately, without him relieving her. I never saw any chicks, but I wouldn’t expect to at this point…Not 100% sure, but 95%, at least. "
The other came in from Robert B. Schmunk entitled, Cathedral hawk babies.
"Hi all,
It looks like the hawks at Cathedral of St. John the Divine have had an egg hatch, as there was definite feeding behavior going on today just after 7:00.
Tristan had been hunting in the weeds alongide the northwest parking lot at the Cathedral and was observed to fly back to the nest with a mouse. He stayed there for a few minutes, and after he left Isolde was seen to be leaning into the nest in a manner typical of a feeding.
Donna Browne was watching with her scope and probably can provide better details of the feeding. At one point she indicated that it looked like Isolde was provide tidbits in two directions, as if there two nestlings.
Tristan returned with part of another mouse or rat at 7:30, but that appears to have been saved for a later meal."
Thursday, April 26th
I ended up being the only regular at the fly out on Thursday. It was
cloudy, with a few rain drops, and turned colder as it got darker. A
birder on a bike, stopped by and go to see his first Eastern
Screech-Owl.
I couldn’t capture pictures of the behavior, but soon after this picture was taken the fledgling “caught” a sweet gum seed pod, and flew and played with it just like a Red-tailed hawk fledgling would play with a stick. It was fun to watch.
The parents soon joined the fledgling, and did some warm up flying between trees. They ended up in a tree with leaf cover and I lost them.
Today, marked one full month of study. Soon, we’ll be unable to keep track of them as the leaf cover will be too thick. It’s been fun watching them.
Wednesday, April 25th
I was the only one up at the nest when I went up on Wednesday, although I’m sure Chris was by in the morning and evening with her dog Fig.
It was raining when I arrived at 6 p.m., so I didn’t stay for the fly out. The owls are getting harder to find in the Willow, as its leaves fill out.
Anyone have a view of 888 Seventh Avenue?
The new location of the Central Park South hawk’s nest on 888 Seventh Avenue can’t be seen from the street. The nest is on the east face of the building between 56th and 57th Street.
Does anyone have a view of the nest? It’s twelve stories down from the top of the building.
Update: Lincoln Karim has some great shots of the nest on his site, www.palemale.com. The nest, which I originally thought might have been behind the vents, is sandwiched between a faux window, and the vents. It seems like a very secure location, free of rain, wind and direct sunlight. The actual nest placement, is one set of windows north of where I had originally thought the nest was located.
