For the last few days, a Bald Eagle has been seen in Riverside Park.  It was reported again today around 116th Street.  I went up to have a look and at first didn’t see it, but it flew over me at around 114th Street before perching near a Red-tailed Hawk at 108th Street.  The Red-tailed Hawk left it alone for awhile but then took a pass at the Bald Eagle, coming within a foot of the eagle.  The Red-tailed Hawk landed nearby but then flew up to a branch a few feet higher than the eagle.  They then had a standoff for at least an hour.

The Red-tailed Hawk eventually left and the Bald Eagle flew down to 95th and the Hudson River’s edge.  It stayed for about half an hour before flying back north.

Eagles nest all up and down the Hudson River Valley.  In the winter, when the river freezes, they end up as a large group around Croton-On-Hudson, New York, where the tides break up the ice making it easy to catch fish.  It is not uncommon to see over 80 Eagles in the Croton area in the winter.  When there is ice on the river, the eagles ride the tidal ice flows from Croton to Manhattan. 

So, while we don’t see eagles much in Manhattan, this is the perfect time to be on the lookout for them.  The colder it gets, the better chance you’ll have to see one!