Other Red-tailed Hawks

Reservoir Hawks

While up at the Reservoir, I saw a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk who was hunting around the edges of the reservoir and just before leaving the park, our 86th Street regular.

This young hawk was going after everything along the northeast of the Reservoir.  It went after sparrows, a squirrel, an American Robin, an American Coot and a Mallard without success.
The young hawk made its way down near our 86th Street regular, who gave it no notice.
Our adult 86th Street regular who slipped in without notice, just after sunset.
927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Other Birds

Sunday on Fifth Avenue

When I arrived on Sunday, Lola was settled down on the nest.  Three Turkey vultures went by flying down 5th Avenue.

One very poor picture of one of the Turkey Vultures.
Pale Male was sitting on a railing of an apartment building around 77th Street.
He flew down and caught a pigeon, which he prepared for Lola.
Then he delivered it stopping in a tree before going to the nest.
I’ve got take out for you.
Switching off so Lola can have her meal.
Pale Male settling down into the nest.
Lola returning to the nest.
Lola landing.
Pale Male exiting.
Lola pops up her head after settling down.  At times, you can’t even see her.
927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey, Other Birds

Saturday at the Oven and the Fifth Avenue Nest

I started out in the area called the Oven by the Lake.

Fox Sparrow
American Woodcock.  There were five at the Oven while I was there.
American Woodcock
Pale Male landing on scaffolding at the top of a building at 72nd Street.
Pale Male on the Carlyle Hotel.
Pale Male being chased by an American Kestrel, who hit him twice.  The Kestrel seems to chase him when he’s around 78th Street.  I spent two hours on Sunday trying to locate the Kestrel without success.
927 5th Avenue Red-tailed Hawks

Early Wednesday Evening on 5th Avenue

I arrived a little after 6 p.m. to find that Pale Male had just come in to give Lola a break.

Lola and Pale Male
Pale Male sits on the nest.
An unknown hawk
Lola had settled onto the top edge of a building two blocks north of the nest.  The unknown hawk came and left so quickly that she did nothing.
Lola returned to the nest and Pale Male immediately left.  It was like tag team wrestling.
Pale Male taking out the trash.
I couldn’t tell what it had been.  Pale Male went up to Cedar Hill and made his way back to one of his favorite trees to roost for the evening.
Lola, who you can’t really see, all settled in for the evening.
Owls

News of Rescued Young Owls

In late February, three young screech owls were found in the northern end of Central Park.

Marie was the epicenter of all the email traffic back and forth between rescuers, parks employees, and rehabbers.  The young owls were rescued on different days, a pair on one day, and the third on a different day.

For some reason, lights, plentiful food, that the reintroduced owls came from Rehabilitation and Rescue centers, and/or other factors have resulted in owlets being born a month or two too early in Central Park.  Young Screech owls are "branchers" before they fly, and their early birth when trees are without leaves seems to lead to problems.

In case the young owls could be reunited with their parents, an effort to find the parents was launched in case it made sense to reunite the young owls with their parents.  Last year’s 75th Street owl watchers went up for a few evenings, but we didn’t find the parents and gave up looking.

On March 13th, we all got a wonderful note from Chris:

"Positive visual sighting at 9PM of one mature Eastern Screech Owl on bridle path near ballfields, where Bruce Yolton was known to take photographs last year.

It flew to a branch within 5 feet of me, perching, without fear, for a good five minutes, responding with little hooty whoops to my whinnying, then flew off.

Good birding!

Chris and Fig"