tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-293868742012-01-28T05:27:33.522-05:00Field notes from Morningside Heights and beyond.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.comBlogger3841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-91098632250207712242012-01-17T02:54:00.006-05:002012-01-17T03:03:53.218-05:00

Not much to speak of, but here's the first hawk photo that I took in 2012. As some of you may recognize, this is the chimney atop the Cardinal Cooke medical building, across Fifth Ave. from Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The chimney has been a favorite perch for the hawks at the north end of Central Park for years. In late afternoon it seems to be a good spot for checking out what the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-36487903999615580022011-07-26T21:51:00.004-04:002011-07-26T21:59:36.800-04:00

There were four red-tailed hawk sightings near the Cathedral of St. John the Divine early Tuesday evening, but none close enough for a good picture. At least two hawks were involved, as a couple sightings were definitely a youngster and one was an adult. None of the hawks were actually on the cathedral grounds or in Morningside Park. The first sighting, probably a youngster, was seen from a

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-8460061653941429442011-07-23T05:45:00.002-04:002011-07-27T05:39:24.588-04:00

No sign of the cathedral young red-tails the last two hot days, not even a robin chip. But not only has there been a cormorant hanging around Morningside Park most of the week, but on Friday there was another.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-53656354858054612302011-07-20T22:42:00.006-04:002011-07-24T05:02:05.409-04:00

Monday and Tuesday evenings around the cathedral and Morningside Park, I only made one hawk sighting — a youngster atop a hospital chimney — although there was aural evidence on Tuesday that one of them was in the cathedral close. The lack was partially made up for with a kestrel briefly sighted atop 1 Morningside and a double-crested cormorant at the park pond. Wednesday evening, things went a

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-9000589639824955072011-07-14T23:08:00.005-04:002012-01-28T05:27:33.531-05:00

Sometimes you don't have to spend a moment looking for hawks. They just fly out to greet you and perch right overhead. Even as I watched this youngster in the cathedral close, I could hear another begging 50-75 yards to the east. I decided to stay with the bird in hand. Within just a few minutes, it tried to catch something in the bushed at the west end of the new playground.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-36067033240165481072011-07-13T22:10:00.008-04:002011-07-14T04:33:42.376-04:00

The cathedral juvenile red-tailed hawks are all doing well. And I do mean all as in all three, as I was lucky to have the complete trio in view at one time for a minute on Wednesday evening. Again checking the cathedral close to start the day's hawkwatching, I figured there must be a hawk about because the pigeons atop the old orphanage building kept taking off and circling around. Finally after

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-82122769377261273782011-07-12T21:34:00.003-04:002011-07-12T23:12:01.974-04:00

After a long time of not finding any red-tailed hawks at the cathedral early this evening, I re-checked the close as I was about to end the day. There I found two of young hawks raising a ruckus as they swooped around, chasing and pouncing and otherwise causing chaos. There was squirrel chasing. The squirrels won, 4-nil. Fence sitting. Squirrel ogling. Pulpit sitting.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-8013388506290709862011-07-11T20:08:00.004-04:002011-07-11T23:18:46.663-04:00

Two of the young red-tailed hawks at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine were hunting in the close, the campus on the south side of the cathedral, late Monday afternoon. One was low, one was high. The first to be found was the low bird, first spotted just west of the Cathedral House. It was obviously hunting, head wiggling about to examine things from different angles and hopping from

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-8352979516696678902011-07-11T19:20:00.003-04:002011-07-11T19:22:10.192-04:00

The weekly or bi-weekly Sunday music event in Morningside Park near the upper 113th St. entrance made it difficult to search for the young red-tailed hawks as one could not listen for the sound of angry robins. Possibly the hawks were irritated, too, as an hour after I had started looking, one of them finally popped out of the nice, quiet close on the south side of the cathedral and landed on the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-6966831630292833462011-07-07T22:07:00.005-04:002011-07-08T04:06:59.048-04:00

Two of the cathedral red-tailed hawk fledglings were playing around on the rooftops early this evening. The third was apparently not to be found. After a couple sightings along 113th St at 6:00, I again encountered the rooftop lurkers about 6:30. One was perched on the finial above St. Peter. Several minutes later, another flew out of the cathedral close and landed below, on the St. Savior

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-17670798543851949182011-07-05T20:44:00.004-04:002011-07-05T21:25:15.711-04:00

On Tuesday evening, a noisy bunch of robins revealed one of the cathedral red-tailed hawk fledglings at the south end of Morningside Park. It was initially perched near the steps at the Morningside Drive corner entrance, but immediately shifted to a tree halfway to Manhattan Ave. It eyed the ground, perhaps looking for something to pounce on. But with all the robins chip-chipping away, it

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-27296916605817220682011-07-05T20:38:00.003-04:002011-07-06T00:20:29.676-04:00

On Friday, I found one of the cathedral red-tail fledglings hanging about across Morningside Drive in Morningside Park. It took some time to find him, but finally some robin chip-chipping revealed there was a young red-tail just barely inside the park between 112th and 113th Sts. Listening for such 'angry birds' noises has proven over the years to be the best way of finding one of the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-74623781301659067172011-06-29T21:28:00.007-04:002011-06-30T03:47:38.716-04:00

On Wednesday evening, it was easy to find all three cathedral red-tail fledglings. Just watch one and the other two will show up. The first fledgling was quickly spotted on a ledge between the nave and the north transept arch. He was sitting quietly, perhaps recently fed, and preened and scratched now and again. Soon enough, a second fledgling was spotted 40 yards east on the buttress

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-59190034556601591422011-06-26T04:20:00.003-04:002011-06-26T04:25:12.308-04:00

When a nest has three fledgling red-tails the rules is supposed to be that you'll rarely find all three of them, but you'll always find one of them. Well, even the latter qualification took some time on Saturday evening. Only after 30-45 minutes of searching did one of this year's kids pop up, at the same spot that last year's solo fledge regularly appeared... the top of the cathedral's north

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-4522828953339345132011-06-22T02:22:00.004-04:002011-06-22T02:59:59.818-04:00

Tuesday evening on 113th St. was quiet. Two of the cathedral red-tail fledglings were perched in obvious sight at the top of the Plant Pavilion at St. Luke's Hospital. Both seemed to have full crops and were not interested in doing anything more than preen.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-472714883746269342011-06-16T20:45:00.010-04:002011-06-17T15:24:42.498-04:00

The third young red-tailed hawk fledged from the nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine fledged on a gloomy Thursday evening, with its siblings looking on. The nestling was quiet in the early evening, perched and looking around, with its most strenuous activity being trying to twist and stretch its neck to see the sibling perched in the turret just above the nest. The third young

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-35049042259467377452011-06-15T21:10:00.005-04:002011-06-17T00:42:12.057-04:00

The young cathedral red-tails were easy to find tonight, and that was even before one started begging loudly. One fledgling was perched on a small spire above St. Ansgar chapel. ANother fledgling was exploring the top of one of the north transept buttresses. And Youngest was still in the nest. It was easy to keep at least two of the young hawks in view at a time. The

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-30826313457073746122011-06-14T20:53:00.004-04:002011-06-14T23:39:35.538-04:00

On a gray and wet evening, I spend a frustrating 45 minutes trying to find one of the cathedral red-tail fledglings. It was obviously somewhere in trees between the Cathedral School and the condos, as it could be heard begging for 20-25 minutes and the robins in the area were going nuts for another 20-25 minutes. But the foliage was too thick, and eventually it must have moved somewhere deeper

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-66151966662635445362011-06-13T21:04:00.005-04:002011-06-14T11:05:16.279-04:00

Some time between mid Sunday afternoon and mid Monday afternoon, two of the red-tailed hawk nestlings made the big jump from the nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. In all probability one went Sunday afternoon, as only one nestling could easily be seen in the evening. The second certainly went on Monday, as one neighborhood dogwalker reported seeing two in the nest early in the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-53372408065597002872011-06-11T21:55:00.004-04:002011-06-12T01:15:47.977-04:00

Gloomy Saturday evening, in between rainfalls, I checked on the cathedral red-tail nest. All three nestlings present and accounted for... Drat. There was some of the usual hopping and flapping, more of the latter when the gusty breeze picked up. The odd moment of the evening came around 7:30 when I was standing along Morningside Dr. almost below the nest and kept hearing some

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-83364180134958330482011-06-10T21:16:00.004-04:002011-06-10T22:48:44.039-04:00

All three young red-tailed hawks remain in the nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Although I had though the first of them to hatch might have been old enough to fledge by last weekend, it looks more likely that my guess on its age was off by several days. Instead of today possibly marking 49 days since hatch it looks more like it's been just 45. Still, that means a fledge could happen

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-38625091861851359242011-06-08T22:44:00.003-04:002011-06-09T03:47:26.512-04:00

Yet another day and still the three ted-tailed hawk babies at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are glues to the nest. There was little flapping this evening and just a bit of preening. It was hot and a bit sticky, and they mostly stood about trying to cool off, wings slightly spread and panting. A big scratch from the middle nestling in the photo above. But note the size of its foot.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-65999106132646412512011-06-07T23:57:00.003-04:002011-06-08T03:23:20.055-04:00

The cathedral red-tail nest was quiet early this evening, and after the combined viewing time of a couple hawkwatchers of perhaps 90 minutes, it seemed as if only one baby was still in the nest. Maybe a second if some possible flickers of movement in the background were to be believed. Did it mean that one of the nestlings had fledged? But about 7:10, a second baby finally stood up in the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-84933079319712026542011-06-06T23:12:00.004-04:002011-06-08T03:26:26.422-04:00

Again, all three Cathedral red-tail babies were still in the nest mid-Monday evening. No wing flapping at all while I watched so maybe they need to be encouraged to fledge. The trio were fairly quiet the first 40 minutes or so that I watched, with no activity more strenuous than preening. It wasn't apparent right away that all three were still up there, but eventually all three were seen at one

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-58032050229786776962011-06-05T21:38:00.003-04:002011-06-06T02:53:28.821-04:00

All three young red-tails were still in the nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine as of early Sunday evening. All three seem to have their feathers grown in, so it's difficult to guess which is which based on feather development or behavior. Presumably Eldest will be the first to fledge, but it hasn't done so yet. During the time that I was able to watch on Sunday, the trio were mostly

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-81696012306722808642011-06-03T23:22:00.004-04:002011-06-03T23:34:25.182-04:00

All three nestlings are still in the red-tail nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Eldest is more and more getting into wing exercises and has been trying to perch on St. Andrew's hand. His tail feathers look grown out, and one expects he could exit the nest any day now. Middle Child is also doing some flapping but seems slightly more content to sit and watch what Eldest is doing.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-15750814711122461142011-06-02T22:53:00.005-04:002011-06-04T05:10:27.092-04:00

Finally, some vigorous wing exercises from at least one of the cathedral red-tailed hawk nestlings. But first... Isolde was feeding the three nestlings when I first arrived and did so for the next 15 minutes before taking off. Only one of the babies was visible over the next 10-15 minutes Surprisingly, Isolde then returned to the nest... ...and started another feeding. One of the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-83193157042088729802011-05-31T21:33:00.007-04:002011-06-04T05:10:48.093-04:00

I arrived at the cathedral red-tail site later than I would have liked on Tuesday, but the timing worked out well anyway. Initially, only one of the baby hawks was visible, probably Eldest, perched on the north side of the nest. A bit later it trundled to the other side of the nest and may have stepped on a sibling (Middle Child?), waking it up. Eldest returned to its original spot and

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-38118896616296739762011-05-27T22:45:00.003-04:002011-06-04T05:12:26.130-04:00

It wasn't a quiet evening around the red-tail nest at the Cathedral of St. John on Friday, although the nest itself was relatively still. The bluejays who'd been harassing Isolde a couple days ago were back and gave her the what-for for at least 45 minutes. She was perched on a finial about 30 feet straight above the nest. A couple of the babies in the nest were sitting where they could

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-50909104333151182792011-05-26T20:12:00.002-04:002011-05-26T20:16:20.097-04:00

From all signs, I must have just missed a 6:00 feeding at the Cathedral red-tail nest on Thursday. By the time I got there only two babies were visible, one of whom settled down within minutes. The other, it looked like Eldest, preened for 15-20 minutes, and also showed off it's very full crop before also settling down. Mama Isolde flew over 10 minutes after I arrived and perched on the hospital

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-30321058717556561432011-05-25T22:21:00.005-04:002011-05-26T04:05:14.442-04:00

I didn't expect to see much of interest at the cathedral red-tail nest tonight. Yes, the babies are getting older and are more visible. But they just haven't quite reached the point where they're starting to exercise their wings and mad bursts of flapping will make for an exciting scene. Indeed, it was relatively quiet when I first passed by, and I wondered into Morningside Park. There I found

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-45479903172080903472011-05-24T23:32:00.003-04:002011-05-25T00:32:16.713-04:00

A day goes by and the youngest red-tail starts to show signs of head feathers growing through his baby fuzz. Now the two siblings at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are hard to tell apart again. Early this evening they were both sitting around, watching out opposite sides of the nest. Occasionally one would sit up high and preen (or is that scratch at the growing feathers?). A couple times

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-62200555273132404962011-05-23T21:48:00.005-04:002011-05-23T23:51:39.897-04:00

The two baby red-tails in the nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are growing fast, and early on a gray Monday evening, the eldest was showing off its first dark head feathers and fresh tawny breast coloring. The youngest still has an all-fuzzy-white head but that won't last more than another day or two. I arrived to watch the nest at the same time that papa Norman was apparently

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-36954015038940625772011-05-20T03:50:00.003-04:002011-05-20T03:54:59.816-04:00

Early Thursday evening found one of the cathedral red-tail nestlings sitting quietly where it could just peak over the north side of the nest. A few minutes after I started watching, mama Isolde flew in to check on her babies. She ended up spending about 15 minutes at the nest, so a feeding must have occurred. For a few minutes afterwards, the two nestlings were briefly visible in their

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-76352244289214976662011-05-17T21:02:00.004-04:002011-05-18T04:08:09.948-04:00

It's taken so long for the cathedral red-tail babies to become easily visible that they're already well into the transition from baby down to growing feathers. My timing was finally right on Tuesday evening, as I got a good look at one baby at about 6:25. Already standing up close to the edge of the nest, and pretty sizable, too. I wonder if it's female. (Girl hawks are a bit bigger.)

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-52461190682835082652011-05-10T20:13:00.004-04:002011-05-11T03:24:02.179-04:00

Tuesday evening I apparently just missed a feeding at the cathedral red-tail nest. As I was walking along West 113th St. toward the nest, Isolde came soaring over the roof of the hospital. She flew up to the roof of the cathedral, hovered for a few seconds in the slight breeze right above Gabriel, and then landed on his horn. My guess was that she was returning from dumping the trash after

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-69216643197083345542011-05-09T21:44:00.008-04:002011-05-10T04:36:21.761-04:00

A week or three after the eggs have hatched and red-tail nestlings are still young enough that they can't be left entirely alone such, one of the parents will always remain within eyeshot of the nest. But sometimes you'll find both parents perched together not too far away. Monday's nice evening was one of those times, when Isolde and Norman were perched side-by-side on the tall chimney at St.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-62461851912101231792011-05-06T22:31:00.006-04:002011-05-06T23:34:45.992-04:00

Friday evening at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Isolde spent just over 25 minutes feeding her baby red-tails. It was evident that she was feeding at least two nestlings, as she was delivering tidbits to more than one spot in the nest. The babies are still a week or so away from being easily visible to the naked eye, but in the last day or two, a viewer with good binoculars/camera and a

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-88545610153953461122011-05-05T21:52:00.003-04:002011-05-05T21:55:29.856-04:00

When I've visited the cathedral red-tail nest the last few days, I've consistently gotten the feeling that I just missed a feeding. During today's gorgeous early evening, for example, I found Isolde sitting quietly in the nest, but sitting high where she could casually watch the skies. There was a moment about 15 minutes later when Isolde was looking around at the interior of the nest below

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-18556078432843787532011-05-01T21:53:00.003-04:002011-05-02T03:33:15.366-04:00

Sunday's first sighting of one of the cathedral hawks came early, as I discovered Norman lurking in the Douglass Houses about nine blocks south of the nest. A half hour later when I reached the cathedral, Isolde too was out of the nest -- in her case, perched on a chimney across the street at the hospital. Shortly later, Isolde flew over to the nest for a moment then disappeared again. Soon

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-72792944911605878702011-04-28T21:35:00.009-04:002011-04-28T22:36:56.281-04:00

Evidence continues to accumulate that red-tail nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has baby(s) in it. When I arrived there today about 6:15, Isolde was in the middle of what was plainly feeding behavior, standing up but bent over the nest with her rear end moving around as she fussed in the nest. (No sign of a fuzzy head popping up to be fed yet.) This lasted until about 6:25 when she

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-60805338667627366682011-04-26T19:44:00.002-04:002011-04-26T19:50:02.848-04:00

Signs today finally suggested that egg(s) had hatched had occurred at the red-tailed hawk nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and that it probably happened several days ago. When I first arrived there early this evening, one adult was perched on the edge of the nest, halfway keeping an eye on the interior. The other flew up a minute later, there was a short confab. And then the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-84983077963499529082011-04-21T19:31:00.004-04:002011-04-21T21:04:25.236-04:00

It's been 34 days since Isolde took to her nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and it seemed like egg brooding had started. This suggests that an egg should already have hatched, but so far no one has reported seeing feeding activity, the only evidence that we'll get of nestlings until they're old enough to peek out of the nest. Early this evening I caught a switch-off at the nest, as

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-18929148934485164032011-04-18T04:17:00.004-04:002011-04-18T04:27:17.944-04:00

Four weeks ago, both the Cathedral and Highbridge Park red-tail nests had mamas starting to brood. But apparently neither has had a hatch just yet. After Saturday night's vicious rainstorm, I headed up to Dyckman Street to check on the state of the Highbridge/Swindler Cove nest. Martha was fussing around just as I got there, but settled down before I could get some glass on the nest.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-84343516982236008072011-04-10T23:52:00.006-04:002011-04-11T01:51:21.532-04:00

With the the cold, wet weather we've had much of the past two weeks, I've worried about the mama hawks brooding eggs in old-school tree nests. Sunday I headed up to Highbridge Park, across from Swindler Cove, to see how Martha was doing. I took the high route to see if I could get a side or even down-angle view of the nest. I made enough noise doing so that Martha heard me coming. Frankly, it

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-73506029624940626162011-04-07T21:03:00.002-04:002011-04-07T21:08:38.194-04:00

The sun broke out this afternoon and the early evening was nice out, albeit a little cool. On the south side of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, I found two of the peacocks out enjoying the evening. One of the blue dudes was perched in front of the old orphanage. While the white guy was perched on a bench on the lawn, preening in the low-angle sun. And wondering what I wanted.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-91720862239711399242011-03-19T21:19:00.003-04:002011-03-20T01:02:51.121-04:00

The last two days provided evidence of red-tail mamas brooding eggs at two Manhattan nests. Friday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was almost quiet, but every now and then I could see the tips of some tail feathers wiggling above the edge of the nest, and once Isolde poked her head just high enough that I could see her face. It seemed like she was really and truly hunkered down on some

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-15711310384626183342011-03-17T22:42:00.007-04:002011-03-17T23:01:16.125-04:00

I'm beginning to suspect Isolde is very close to laying an egg, if she hasn't laid the first one already. Early this evening the nest looked empty, but a bit later I noticed a couple tail feathers poking up on one side and wiggling around. Then all was quiet for the next ten or twelve minutes. Around 6:25, Isolde sat up and started watching the skies to the south and east. She sat like that

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-85310539688267653462011-03-16T20:11:00.006-04:002011-03-17T02:59:51.186-04:00

Early this evening, Isolde of the Cathedral of St. John Divine red-tailed hawks was hanging about her nest, watching the skies and perhaps enjoying the clear air (after a rainy morning). The amount of time she spent just sitting there suggests that egg-laying time is approaching, but that she was sitting rather than laying down in the nest indicates she hasn't done so yet. A couple minutes after

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-83421653759811375662011-02-21T02:37:00.006-05:002011-02-21T02:53:08.776-05:00

Cooper's hawks are often seen in Manhattan's parks at this time of year, wintering over for a few days to several weeks. The area around the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is no exception; I've probably seen Coopies there every winter since I started hawkwatching. Late Sunday afternoon I'd wondered over to see if the cathedral red-tails were getting ready for the new nesting season. Almost

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-53919159167335933712010-11-14T16:11:00.004-05:002010-11-19T03:43:17.950-05:00

Loads of raptor activity over Morningside Heights and adjacent SW Harlem on Sunday around 11:30. Juvenile red-tails and a least one Cooper's were migrating through the area, and the resident red-tails were doing a "see and be seen" to let the youngsters know that the area was already claimed. Norman was perched on the chimney at St. Luke's, Isolde was buzzing around, and the male RT from CCNY was

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-78443882462254500242010-10-30T19:10:00.009-04:002010-10-31T02:02:31.514-04:00

During the half hour before sunset on Saturday, Isolde was over to the southeast corner of her territory, perched atop the Cardinal Cooke Health Center and watching the skies to the south. Her crop was huge, so she had recently fed. Right at sunset, she took off and flew northwest, soaring over the Harlem Meer and headed to somewhere close to the cathedral where she could roost for the night

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-48801524158613141202010-09-12T04:48:00.005-04:002010-09-12T15:24:12.993-04:00

Riverside papa flew in early Saturday evening but neither of the two kids were around while I was there. I did see one of them a week ago, anxiously looking for a solid perch on a windy evening, but not tonight.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-19134092261225461602010-07-09T22:32:00.002-04:002010-07-09T22:39:35.651-04:00

It was the nicest evening in a week, and the cathedral red-tail fledgling made it that much nicer by perching where he could easily be seen, the top of the cross on St. Savior chapel. In addition to scanning the skies, he occasionally deigned to check the sidewalk below. At one point it looked like he almost slipped off. Perhaps he'd been thinking about leaving, as a a couple

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-52326958518335471072010-07-08T00:10:00.006-04:002010-07-08T03:03:11.549-04:00

First raptor sighting this evening was of the hospital male kestrel. He seemed to be staking out some territory, but wasn't harassing the cathedral red-tail fledgling, who was nowhere in (my) sight. A half hour later, pigeon activity erupted in the usual area on the hospital roof and then the red-tail came flying along, perhaps chasing a meal. Then out of sight again. A bit later I found him

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-18726329990305323772010-07-06T23:47:00.004-04:002010-07-07T03:22:08.353-04:00

Sometimes finding a hawk fledgling is a matter of luck. The young cathedral red-tail seemed to be in hiding early Tuesday evening. Perhaps he was tucked away somewhere where shade gave him a bit of relief from the hellacious temperatures. But just before sunset when I was watching a couple of the cathedral peacocks, he came flying along the eave the length of the south side of the cathedral. He

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-86492498282262424422010-06-29T23:16:00.006-04:002010-06-30T05:34:32.956-04:00

Robin calls provided an alert that there was a raptor perched along Morningside Drive adjacent to the hospital. I quickly spotted a male kestrel, as he was zipping around the treetops. But were the robins complaining about the kestrel or was he in league with the robins? Ah-ha, a red-tail hiding amongst the leaves. It was the fledgling. He bailed out of the scene almost immediately,

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-88400281515805229372010-06-28T23:59:00.007-04:002010-06-29T00:20:55.153-04:00

After a rain shower, you can often find hawks perched in plain sight somewhere high where there's a good breeze. Monday was a good example of that. I hadn't even crossed Amsterdam Ave. when I looked up to find that Isolde and Norman were perched high above the hospital emergency room. With their feathers fluffed out, it was much harder than usual to distinguish between them based on the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-6776721126553596492010-06-25T22:43:00.008-04:002010-06-26T05:02:36.191-04:00

The cathedral red-tailed hawk fledgling absolutely could not be found Wednesday and Thursday, but Friday it only took a few minutes. I first spotted a hawk perched on a gabled eave above the statue of St. Matthew, just on the southerly side of the apse. Initially I thought it was the fledge but in retrospect realized it was papa Norman. By the time I walked all the way around to the Biblical

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-88387907939308021132010-06-21T21:59:00.003-04:002010-06-21T22:03:19.527-04:00

The cathedral red-tail fledgling could not be found for over an hour Monday evening. Just as I had given up and was trudging west on 113th St., I looked up to discover that he was perched on Gabriel's head. Seconds later he was in the air and scaring the bejabbers out of the pigeons on the roof of St. Luke's hospital. He perched briefly high above the emergency room, then took off again to

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-11526036130984209342010-06-20T21:58:00.004-04:002010-06-21T02:24:06.697-04:00

It took a half hour Sunday evening to find the cathedral red-tailed hawk fledgling. I made the mistake of looking around Morningside Park and listening for the complaints of small birds. Instead he was perched on a cathedral turret, directly above the nest. He seemed content to watch the day go by. He had a nice spot, shade from the sun and a decent breeze to cut down on the heat, too high

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-24492519313041584812010-06-18T22:29:00.004-04:002010-06-19T16:15:37.873-04:00

On Friday evening, robins were once again helpful in helping find the cathedral red-tailed hawk fledgling. Within minutes of reaching the area, I found him perched on a chimney at the Cathedral School. He pretty much stayed in that spot for the next 45 minutes, watching the skies. Later I discovered I wasn't the only one watching him. Close to 8:00, the fledge may have started thinking

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-79387037412868135282010-06-16T21:16:00.005-04:002010-06-19T16:17:26.754-04:00

The cathedral red-tail fledgling finally descended from the heights and acted a bit more like one expects of a young hawk. I was first clued to his presence by a small amount of robin alarms along Morningside Drive at the east end of the cathedral. It was another few minutes before I spotted him, and then only because he was fluttering about the treetops. Yes, the treetops. First time I or

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-63674419731928145132010-06-15T23:53:00.009-04:002010-06-16T03:52:15.063-04:00

Tuesday evening it took much less time to find the cathedral red-tail fledgling than on Monday, 20 minutes rather than an hour. But just like Monday, he showed up atop the arch on the north side of the cathedral crossing. The only difference was that a mockingbird was chastising him rather than a robin. Fifteen minutes later he got bored with that spot and flew across the street to somewhere

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-79816907156905589772010-06-14T02:02:00.005-04:002010-06-16T04:20:16.698-04:00

Sunday evening, after the rain had stopped, found all three of the cathedral red-tail family out drying and preening their feathers. The fledgling had made it all the way to the top of the cathedral and was perched on Gabriel's head. Mom and Dad were several hundred yards away atop the Towers on the Park.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-89863030805894787152010-06-12T00:04:00.007-04:002010-06-12T04:30:03.324-04:00

I arrived at the cathedral just before 7:00 Friday evening to find all three members of the red-tail family hanging about near each other on the ledges and crenellations above the Baptistry. Dinner had just been served. The fledgling had a full crop and another hawkwatcher indicated that mama Isolde was just polishing off her own meal. Then the fledge worked over the carcass for a few more

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-59856268138059732072010-06-11T23:59:00.005-04:002010-06-16T22:16:57.926-04:00

Survivor spent most of Tuesday evening on the roof of St. Luke's hospital, near the emergency room entrance. There was some hopping about but also a lot of preening. Mama Isolde was watching over the scene, apparently dealing with the neighborhood kestrels. She soon took off but returned perhaps 15 minutes later. She and the fledgling ended up perched about 20-30 feet apart and facing each

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-31547656216276344432010-06-07T23:47:00.004-04:002010-06-07T23:49:15.436-04:00

The cathedral red-tail fledgling has continued to lurk about the rooftops at St. Luke's hospital. I only got a few brief glimpses of him on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, mama Isolde covered by taking heat from a kestrel. Monday we saw neither her nor Norman.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-88022812454824664062010-06-07T02:40:00.002-04:002010-06-07T02:46:33.494-04:00

The cathedral red-tail fledge apparently spend most of Saturday on the roof of St. Luke's hospital. But when I arrived in the early evening, it had just flown back across the street to St. John's. Several minutes later, eagle-eyed Stella spotted Survivor preening on the eave of the cathedral roof. Over the next ten or fifteen minutes, he hung around the eave, running up and down a couple

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-73857268592255787272010-06-04T22:07:00.010-04:002010-06-05T20:28:58.225-04:00

The cathedral red-tail nestling became a fledgling Friday evening at 7:43. Presumably it was 47 days after hatch, which is late, but maybe the extra time gave it a little more muscle than most fledges start with. The young hawk definitely seemed more active and even more curious than during recent visits. Perhaps more important was a combination of the two, as if it had figured out that it could

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-32239299327522624362010-06-03T22:38:00.002-04:002010-06-03T22:42:30.647-04:00

Survivor was still in the nest on Thursday evening. The one thing that seemed different was that he seems a bit more casual when out on the edge of the nest. Some wing stretches and ho-hum. No panicky fright hop back into the nest. One of the parents quietly appeared around 6:45, perching on Gabriel's horn. It looked like Norman. Almost as quietly, the adult took off about 15 minutes

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-8187708782286628042010-06-02T21:01:00.002-04:002010-06-02T21:12:03.432-04:00

The cathedral baby red-tail was still in the nest Wednesday evening. When I arrived, mama Isolde was perched on the roof taking heat from a mockingbird. Fifteen minutes later she decided she'd had enough and took off. Circled a couple times between the cathedral and 110th St. Turned back north. And flew over the cathedral. A couple minutes later, I found her perched on the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-51834096239429447182010-06-01T22:22:00.003-04:002010-06-01T22:35:47.726-04:00

44 days and counting. Rumor has it that the cathedral nestling is very active in the a.m. Here it's 6:30 in the p.m.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-50789920684044243452010-05-31T21:59:00.003-04:002010-05-31T22:02:48.549-04:00

At sunset on Monday, Survivor was still in the nest. I wasn't able to swing by until well past 7:30, when I found him/her possibly pecking at the last bit of a meal. Then it was quiet preening for some time. Same-old same-old "not going to leave" sitting-around non activity. But around 8:15, he got a little too close to the edge of the nest and a few seconds of panic flapping ensued. Then

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-5349960504966141392010-05-28T21:55:00.003-04:002010-05-28T22:02:09.168-04:00

Survivor is now of age to leave the nest. He or she is six weeks old, and even looks mature enough to make the big jump. Check out the nicely grown-in head feathers. Then compare to this pic of an elder sibling who likely left the nest a little early two years ago. But... Survivor doesn't seem to have been acting like a young bird ready to leave home. Maybe my timing has just been poor,

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-65540704860025376262010-05-26T21:52:00.003-04:002010-05-26T21:59:03.833-04:00

Survivor was up on the edge of the cathedral nest this evening, trying to catch a cool breeze on a 90° day. It went through the usual routine of looking around every which way and preening, but added in lots of panting. But with fledging time approaching, Survivor did make a couple efforts to exercise the wings despite the heat. A couple quick forays were made toward St. Andrew's left hand.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-76753993809992766572010-05-24T23:41:00.003-04:002010-05-24T23:46:54.496-04:00

The cathedral red-tail nestling was briefly visible when I walked over Monday evening, but it then disappeared for a nap. Looking about in the usual spots, I soon found mama Isolde perched across the street on the hospital roof. She deigned to glance my direction. The rest of the time, she was mostly keeping an eye to the north, and watching out for a pesky mockingbird. Twenty minutes later

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-15986492105364891942010-05-24T23:19:00.004-04:002010-05-24T23:25:39.309-04:00

On Sunday, I only saw the remaining cathedral red-tail baby for about three minutes. It was scoping out the territory when I first arrived but soon laid for a nap. As I had just watched a parent circling over Manhattan Valley and later perching on the Towers on the Park, I suspect a meal was recently concluded. Meanwhile, down in Morningside Park, a great egret was hanging out in the pond.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-84829099029909829412010-05-22T21:02:00.006-04:002010-05-22T21:24:00.818-04:00

Sad news came early Saturday that a hawkwatcher had witnessed the mother red-tail at the cathedral trying to remove a dead nestling from the nest. But the viewer did report seeing one active nestling. I wasn't able to check on the nest until much later, but as 6:30 approached, I found the nest looking quiet. Both parents were both found perched on Norman's favorite chimney at the hospital.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-8689818336301479972010-05-20T22:01:00.008-04:002010-05-20T22:13:47.431-04:00

What would seem to be the eldest baby red-tail in the cathedral nest has a nice set of head feathers coming in. It's about five weeks old and should be ready to leave the nest in a week or so. The nestling was apparently the only baby anxious to be seen Thursday evening, but it stayed up on or near the edge of the nest for some time, allowing for good views. The parents were found perched

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-87990275169231068322010-05-19T23:15:00.001-04:002010-05-19T23:16:06.015-04:00

Apparently there's a blue jay nest on the other side of the cathedral.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-19693340432530119822010-05-17T23:40:00.004-04:002010-05-18T02:42:08.627-04:00

Although I've seen recent pictures of such an event, Monday may have marked the first time I've ever seen Isolde and Norman sitting together on Gabriel's horn. Previously when I've seen them together it's usually been on Norman's favorite chimney cover across the street at the hospital. They must have done a good job on their parental duties earlier in the day, as they perched there

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-66964207580094786882010-05-10T01:58:00.006-04:002010-05-10T13:55:44.029-04:00

After hearing of Saturday's disaster at the Riverside nest, I was happy on Sunday, Mother's Day, to find that the red-tail nest in Highbridge Park was still in place near the top of a tree. (Even later, I was even more relieved when I found that some trees not far down Dyckman St. had toppled in Saturday's winds.) I apparently arrived after a feeding, as Martha was perched on the edge of the

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-90045675387114190292010-05-07T20:39:00.010-04:002010-05-07T22:44:21.516-04:00

Isolde seems to feel that is okay to leave the kids alone in the nest for longer periods of time. On the other hand, she's not necessarily wandering too far away. During the hour that I was in the area early Friday evening, Isolde spent 15 minutes in the nest with her babies. 25 minutes, just before sunset, perched on the cathedral roof just 30 feet away from the nest. 2-3 minutes perched

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-19164307374941345942010-05-06T20:47:00.004-04:002010-05-06T20:53:10.713-04:00

The red-tail nestlings are getting big enough that it seems you can almost always see one, even when they're quiet and not wiggling around. Thursday evening, presumably after out garbage and doing other chores, Isolde returned to the nest area just after 7:00 and perched on a finial, where she preened and "conversed" with Saint Peter. There she stayed, even as sunset approached. Although

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-68519650546838959862010-05-04T22:15:00.004-04:002010-05-05T03:03:16.841-04:00

After sharing around a quick snack at 6:45, Isolde took off from the cathedral nest for some time, finally returning at 7:30 to give the three nestlings a longer meal. Afterward she and the eldest sat back and watched the end of the day go by.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-44805467021307436482010-05-03T21:31:00.003-04:002010-05-03T21:41:31.172-04:00

Hawkwatchers reported on Saturday that three babies had been spotted in the red-tail nest at the cathedral. Late Monday, only one was visible, or one at a time. A few minutes before 7:00, one of the nestlings popped up and started moving about. It was standing high enough and semi-flapping its wings for balance just vigorously enough that one suspects that first hatch in the nest probably

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-20556459371032481982010-04-27T20:05:00.004-04:002010-04-27T20:14:47.063-04:00

Early Tuesday evening, Isolde apparently decided she needed ten minutes of personal time. With Norman nowhere in sight, she bailed out of the nest at 6:50 and headed over the hospital roof, only to do a hairpin turn, circle about over Morningside Park, and then alight atop the Cathedral Gardens dormitory. There she perched, catching the evening light and gusty wind. Just after 7:00, she

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-26544991955014353652010-04-23T23:07:00.003-04:002010-04-24T04:11:49.422-04:00

Norman was apparently more pro-active in fatherly hawk duties early Friday evening. Normally seen for just moments at a time as he makes fly-by food deliveries, he spent some time babysitting the nestlings after 6:00. Isolde returned to the nest about 6:35 (above), and after a few minutes, Norman exited and Isolde settled in. Although the head of whichever parent was in the nest was

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-38257492969145103562010-04-21T02:53:00.004-04:002010-04-21T03:04:00.946-04:00

It's 2:50 in the morning, and the Queens Briarwood nestcam reveals that Mama is wide awake. But then she yawns and tucks her head under a wing and tries to get some shut-eye.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-16339040821472949902010-04-19T22:23:00.004-04:002010-04-20T02:25:14.126-04:00

More evidence of a hatch at the cathedral red-tail nest, as two feedings were observed today. Also, mama Isolde is now "sitting high" and is often visible. However, the height of the nest is such that it's likely to be two weeks or more before the nestlings are big enough and active enough to be visible from street level. Donna observed a late-afternoon feeding around 4:30 or 5:00. At 6:30,

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-13539743193368825982010-04-18T23:32:00.005-04:002010-04-19T02:25:35.459-04:00

Red-tail hatches in the city have now begun in Manhattan. On Sunday afternoon and early evening, I saw evidence of babies at two nests, and actually got a glimpse of one red-tail baby. First, Highbridge Park. I reached the semi-decent viewing point on the side of Fort George Hill a bit before 4:00 and found Bruce already there observing the nest. Martha was sitting pretty high in the nest,

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-628362475573082912010-04-14T22:56:00.003-04:002010-04-14T22:57:30.515-04:00

A casual visitor to Morningside Park's pond. Apparently not a big fan of photography, as (s)he took off a couple of minutes after I showed up with a camera.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-67419397794086983382010-04-13T22:32:00.005-04:002010-04-13T22:37:53.238-04:00

Egg-brooding at the red-tail nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine apparently started on or before March 17, which means that egg-hatching time has arrived. But because the nest is so high, and its bowl so deep, the only to tell if an agg has hatched will be altered behavior of mama Isolde and her mate, Norman. It's possible that that sort of altered behavior has begun. Although all

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-23170287547259572052010-03-29T02:13:00.004-04:002010-03-29T02:21:11.952-04:00

Taking a walk Sunday afternoon from one end of Fort Washington Park to the other, I found one red-tailed hawk in the area. But it wasn't an adult. Instead it was a year-old, yet to go through his first molt. The poor guy was taking grief from the local crows. Five minutes later he was gone, chased out of the trees and into the neighborhood around PS 187.

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-43330290814120292322010-03-24T21:45:00.009-04:002010-03-31T04:08:08.814-04:00

Just after 6:00 Wednesday evening, a red-tailed hawk soared out over Morningside Park and did some circles and figure eights. It seemed the kind of flying that one would do if one was good at flying and the weather was absolutely gorgeous, which it was. Then the hawk flew back to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and entered the red-tail nest using the "south entrance". The other hawk

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-9625145069612951432010-03-21T22:19:00.007-04:002010-03-22T21:19:51.613-04:00

Late Sunday afternoon, I made my first trip since last summer up to northern Highbridge Park to check on Martha and George's nest, near George Washington High School. I found last year's nest was completely gone. The general area looked like it took a hit in the big storm last August, and although the tree where their 2007 and 2009 nests were located was still there, it had lost some limbs

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-4329863865685330102010-03-17T22:21:00.009-04:002010-03-19T03:36:21.393-04:00

As experienced hawkwatchers know, if it's March and you catch a pair of hawks switching places at the nesting site, it can only mean one thing. Eggses! But first... On St. Patrick's Day, it seemed quiet near the cathedral nest area before sunset. But at 6:40 as I began to leave, a hawk popped out of the nest area flying north. Much like Tuesday last week, it landed briefly atop the Scrymser

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-8803699337824057792010-03-10T20:36:00.005-05:002010-03-11T03:44:30.588-05:00

All seemed quiet at the red-tail nest at the Cathedral of St. John about a half hour before sunset Wednesday, but 15 minutes later it got weird. About 5:40 I realized a hawk had landed on the tall chimney at the hospital, and moments after that discovered that another was hopping about on the statue of the archangel Gabriel atop the cathedral, from wing, to horn, to crook of an elbow, then

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29386874.post-44222960446321470022010-03-09T21:24:00.006-05:002010-03-12T04:12:47.385-05:00

Hawkwatching at the cathedral Tuesday after 5:00 looked to be quiet, although James reported that there had been some activity in the nest alcove a half hour before I arrived. But around 5:50, Norman suddenly appeared, apparently checked on the nest, flew across the street to a rooftop ledge at St. Luke's, and then moved onto a finial on the roof of 44 Morningside Drive. He was carrying a

Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06568119482083503567noreply@blogger.com0