Eagles, Falcons, Hawks and Osprey

Darien Osprey

I was visiting friends in Darien, Connecticut and their Osprey nest had just hatched. This year was interesting because two new Osprey are trying to settle into the same cove. It was the first time I had seen another Osprey harass this pair. Osprey have now recovered so well from DDT, that in New England there is now contention for nestling locations.

I arrived on a Thursday, and I could see that the parent’s behavior had adjusted from brooding to rearing the young. The female was up higher than normal and I saw a feeding. But it wasn’t until Sunday that I saw a small head peaking up.

Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

Two off of the NYAC Nest

I arrived at the NYAC around 6 pm tonight. I had a busy day, and came after visiting the 93rd Street nest. As I walked from the subway, I saw a fledgling on 200 Central Park South. It was on a terrace railing. I could also see only one eyass on the nest.

I than ran into a group of hawk watchers who showed me a second fledgling in a Honey Locust. The bird was above an ice cream truck.

The observers said they hadn’t seen the fledge of the second bird, so they couldn’t say who was who. I suspect that the bird on 200 Central Park South was the first hawk to fledge.

The bird above the ice cream truck stayed put while I was there but the one on 200 Central Park South got active, moving east along the railing and jumping down to the balcony floors and back up to railing. Eventually, it flew off the building. It tried to land on the NYAC but misjudged, then went by the nest and eventually tried to go up to a balcony on the eastern edge of the Essex House. It missed the landing and drifted down a corner of the building about 30 feet before righting itself and flying across the street to a London Plane tree.

The adult female who watched all this perched first on the Essex House, before perching further west. She eventually joined the remaining eyass on the nest and had a snack.

It was getting dark, so I went home. I’ll be away for a few days but can’t wait to see how all of the various hawk nest in Manhattan turn out. We still have lots of birds who will be fledging soon.

The fledgling above the ice cream truck on Central Park South
The other fledgling on 200 Central Park South
The fledgling that had been on 200 Central Park South after its adventure trying to land on the New York Athletic Club and the Essex House on the north side of Central Park South in a London Plane tree.
The still yet to fledge, Red-tailed Hawk eyass.
Northwest Central Park Hawks

Back in the Nest Tree at 93rd

I arrived this afternoon at the 93rd and Central Park West/Wild West Playground nest to find the fledgling had returned to the top of the nest tree. He had flown back to the tree at some point!

One eyass was on the nest and after some searching I found the other eyass partially hidden having branched about 15 feet up. It’s always comforting to account for all of the youngsters. So, I was happy to have found all of them.

Soon both parents came in and perched next to each other. They seemed to know the next stage of child rearing was about to begin.

Northwest Central Park Hawks

1st Fledge at 93rd and Central Park West

After missing the fledge, but seeing the first fledgling on Central Park South, I went up to the Wild West Playground nest to see how it was doing. When I arrived, the mother was just leaving the nest. The eyasses ate a bit, and then horsed around on the nest before branching high up into the tree, say 30 feet. I wasn’t expecting much to happen, so I started to pack up my equipment and head downtown.

But all of a sudden, one of the eyasses fledged around 7:10 pm to a tall tree to the north of the nest. The fledge itself was typical. Great flying but a poor landing. So, I unpacked my equipment and continued to photograph the hawks. Both parents eventually came in to keep watch, although neither visited the newly fledged hawk while I was there.

The fledgling
The fledgling
The adult male
The adult male
The adult female
The fledgling
The fledgling
The fledgling
Southern Central Park Red-tailed Hawks

1st Fledge at NYAC

The first fledge occurred at the New York Athletic Club on Tuesday morning. Reports are two of the eyasses were fighting over who would get to perch on the flag pole mount, and one end up fledging. It landed safely in a tree about 100 feet north of Central Park West.

When I arrived the mother had already visited and she made two more visits while I was there. The newly fledged birds didn’t do much other than learn to navigate the branches of the tree. It looked great.

The two eyasses still on the nest were very active, and look ready to follow their pioneering sibling. The mother made a good number of visits to the nest as well. I’m looking forward to the summer and watching these hawks grow up.

Northwest Central Park Hawks

93rd Street Update

My visit to the nest started slow. I could only see two eyasses at first and wondered if one had fledged, but finally saw the third one. With some light rain falling, the fledglings became more active and the third one appeared and started eating. They’ve started branching, which is a sign they will fledge soon.

Then I heard some angry Blue Jays and found a parent on a street light. It went south, continuing to be harassed by the jays, and reappeared on another street light with a Brown Rat in its talons. The jays then dived bombed and dive bombed. Eventually, the hawk went to a tree north of the nest and then a hawk delivered the rat. I think it as the male hunting and the female making the delivery, but I’m not 100% sure.

The delivery was quick. When the eyasses are close to fledging, it’s common for the parents to just make deliveries and then let the eyasses eat on their own. I’m going away for a long weekend starting Thursday, so unless they fledge Tuesday or Wednesday, I suspect they’ll be gone by the time I return.