Fall Hawks

The Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawk fledglings appear to all be off on their fall migration journeys, so parents, Amelia and Charlie, have some time to themselves. I haven't been tracking them too closely recently, but I found Amelia perched on the dome of Most Holy Redeemer church earlier this week.

Most Holy Redeemer is one of the favorite sites where our local hawks spend their time. Beginning with Christo and Dora, and continuing with Charlie and Amelia, the church dome and cross serve as a resting place and lookout for the birds. They take their meals up there and spend a lot of time surveying their territory from the north and east sides.

 

Back in 2015, Christo and Dora nested on the Ageloff building on Avenue A, a half block from the church. They had three chicks that year and one of the fledglings spent and afternoon frolicking on the slope of the dome. One of its siblings later managed to change the time on the church clock, which is one of my favorite fledgling hawk memories. Posts and photos from that year can be found here.

 

The church is now in danger. EV Grieve has extensive details on the situation, but the short version is the church needs to be landmarked or it may be destroyed. I can't imagine the East Village without this magnificent church, and I really love how the hawks chose to settle in this neighborhood, making the church tower the centerpiece of their territory.

 

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Below are images of some of the other Red-Tailed Hawks I've spent some time with across the city.

 

This is a male in Queens being assaulted by a Northern Mockingbird. 

They almost look like they could be buddies...

But the Mockingbird has a lot to say and the hawk just ignores it.

This is the same hawk on a hunting trip.

This is his mate (female).

At some point, the male caught a pigeon and they used this tree top as a kitchen table.

This is a male in Brooklyn who I've been observing for several years. He is distinct as he doesn't have much of a belly band. 

This is the Queens female (I don't have names for these guys).

This is one of the resident hawks from Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. She's a beauty, displaying her perfect tail feathers.

Hoping to see more hawks this fall as they migrate through the area.

 

 

That Sunset

If you were outside in the NYC area last Friday evening, you must have seen it.  

That sunset.

I happened to be at Battery Park and the sky initially looked pretty dull and gray. I'd had a long day and was ready to get on the subway to go home, but thought I'd just take a minute and walk out to the sea wall to take a look at the harbor. 

Over the next few minutes, the sky quickly changed, gifting us with one of the most spectacular sunsets in a long time.

This is looking towards Jersey City.

That's Ellis Island straight ahead and the Statue of Liberty off to the left.

I wasn't alone enjoying the scene.

After a long summer of hazy heat and humidity, this felt like a welcome seasonal change. 

 

Little things that matter

When birdwatching gets slow, I turn my attention to insects and small creatures. I previously posted photos of dragonflies, but here are some other insects and critters seen on my nature walks. The observations below took place in New York and Florida.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly: 

Long-Tailed Skipper:

Common Buckeye:

White Peacock Butterfly:

Monarch Butterfly (I'm seeing a lot of these around NYC right now):

Fir Tussock Moth caterpillar:

Nature's way of saying Do Not Touch!

Bumblebee resting on the top of a flower stem:

Another Bumblebee taking a nap while hanging on to some blades of grass.

Japanese Beetles:

They're pretty, but an invasive species in North America.

 

Warning for arachnophobes: spiders ahead!

 

 

 

A cute female Bold Jumping Spider: 

 

She looks lost in thought...

Spiny-Backed Orb Weaver:

A beautiful female Golden Orb Weaver:

A Mabel Orchard Orb Weaver:

This photo was taken in low light, which doesn't really show the spider's wonderful neon turquoise, yellow and orange colors.

 

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are my favorite insect and I eagerly await their final form each summer. Below are a few highlights.

Variegated Meadowhawk (female): 

Eastern Pondhawk (female):

Eastern Pondhawks mating (male on left):

I think this is a female Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk:

Roseate Skimmer (male):

Eastern Amberwing (female):

Autumn Meadowhawk (male):

Blue Dasher (male):

Blue Dashers are the most common dragonfly I see in the NYC area, and they are the most cooperative for photos, so I always come away with more photos of them than any other.

Female:

Female with two different colored eyes:

Male:

Mating (male on left):

Seeing the dragonflies mate and lay their eggs in water is bittersweet as I know that's the end of the life cycle. It's also a sign of the changing seasons and fall is not too far away.