I spent about an hour around Cedar Hill in Central Park this afternoon and saw two fledglings and one of the parents.

The two fledglings cried and cried for food.  With every set of fledglings, there is a period where they are capable of hunting, but they continue to beg for food.  The parents, knowing they should be learning independence, ignore them.

Invariably, you’ll also see a newbie hawk watcher get all worried.  They’ll ask “Do we need to feed them?” and I’ll just laugh.  What is it about our culture that makes people think they need to help wild animals?  These animals have taken care of themselves for millenniums.