Today marks the 37th day since Dora laid the first of three eggs this season, so they're due to hatch any time now. Tune in to the nest cam to see any changes in activity.
This close-up photo of the three eggs was kindly sent in to us a couple of weeks ago:
All lined up and ready to go!
While we continue to wait for the eggs to hatch, Christo and Dora have established a bit of a pattern with exchanging nest duties. Late in the day, around 6pm, Christo sits on the cross at the Most Holy Redeemer church on E 3rd Street, where he has a clear view of the nest, and waits for Dora to get up.
Right on cue, Dora stands up. Break time!
She takes off north up Avenue A.
Christo flies in from the cross and takes over sitting on the eggs.
I found Dora stretching out on top of the cross at St Brigid's on Avenue B & 8th Street.
When she was done stretching, she flew into her favorite gingko tree just inside the park entrance and rested for about 30 minutes. As the sun set, she took off and flew up and down Avenue A chasing pigeons. She didn't seem to be hunting them, just diving after them and making them scatter. It looked to me like she was really enjoying herself.
When she returned to the nest, Christo headed straight for the park where he wasted no time catching a rat. The whole process - landing in a tree, looking around, pouncing, and carrying it up to a branch - took less then ten minutes.
He ate the yummiest part - the head - then quickly took the rest back up to the cross at Most Holy Redeemer.
Christo left the rat snack on the cross, then switched places with Dora. She ate the rest of the food, then sat up on the cross until the sun went down at 7:55pm. By then, it was too dark for my camera, so I didn't see where Christo went to roost, but he headed back towards Tompkins Square.
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
Join us as we chronicle the lives of East Village red-tailed hawks, Christo, Amelia, and Dora, as well as other New York City wildlife.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Ho-hum hawk week
It's been a rather boring week for hawk-watching, so I don't really have any exciting updates on Christo and Dora.
We are getting close to hatch time, which I'm guessing will be around May 1 (place your bets!). We won't be able to see the hatchlings from the street, but we should know that something has happened when Christo suddenly becomes a food delivery maniac. Until then, he is giving Dora breaks throughout the day.
After unsuccessfully looking for him in Tompkins Square Tuesday evening, I just happened to see him leaving the nest as I was on my way home. You can just see Dora on top of the air-conditioner.
Christo flew north on Avenue A to the park. That was around 7pm, so I didn't follow as it was getting too dark.
Earlier in the week, on Sunday, I caught him partaking in Endless Pigeon Brunch on Avenue A & St Mark's.
A sparrow looks on...
After a few minutes, Christo took off and flew the left-overs up to the cross of the Most Holy Redeemer church on E 3rd Street.
He was only on the cross for about a minute before taking off again, empty-taloned. My assumption is he left the food up there for Dora.
And, by chance, I spotted Dora atop the Christodora late one evening just as the sun set.
She rested up there for quite some time before making a beeline back to the nest on Avenue A.
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
We are getting close to hatch time, which I'm guessing will be around May 1 (place your bets!). We won't be able to see the hatchlings from the street, but we should know that something has happened when Christo suddenly becomes a food delivery maniac. Until then, he is giving Dora breaks throughout the day.
After unsuccessfully looking for him in Tompkins Square Tuesday evening, I just happened to see him leaving the nest as I was on my way home. You can just see Dora on top of the air-conditioner.
Christo flew north on Avenue A to the park. That was around 7pm, so I didn't follow as it was getting too dark.
Earlier in the week, on Sunday, I caught him partaking in Endless Pigeon Brunch on Avenue A & St Mark's.
A sparrow looks on...
After a few minutes, Christo took off and flew the left-overs up to the cross of the Most Holy Redeemer church on E 3rd Street.
He was only on the cross for about a minute before taking off again, empty-taloned. My assumption is he left the food up there for Dora.
And, by chance, I spotted Dora atop the Christodora late one evening just as the sun set.
She rested up there for quite some time before making a beeline back to the nest on Avenue A.
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Killing time with Christo
While Dora continues to brood on the nest, mostly out of sight from the street, I caught up with Christo this last weekend in Tompkins Square.
I'd just been complaining out loud that I hadn't seen him up close in a while, so of course that's when he flew across the Avenue A playground with a pigeon.
After letting all the kids get a good look at his catch, he took it over to the chess tables where a small crowd gathered to watch.
But after several minutes of feather-plucking, he decided to take off. He flew to the north end of the park near 10th Street, but I lost him and never saw if he ate the pigeon himself or shared it with Dora.
Monday night, I found him hunting rats behind the park offices.
Birds and squirrels swarmed all over the area, but he seemed bent on getting the rats that ran around in the bushes under the birdbaths. I wanted to stay and watch him, but I got kicked out when the park employees locked the gate.
Lucky for me, Christo flew back out to the front of the offices and perched on the flagpole.
I don't know why he gave up on hunting in the back area, as he had a lot of dining options back there. He spent the next hour or so diving from the flagpole into the grassy area just to the west, failing to catch anything, then back up to the flagpole.
Watching him try to catch dinner over and over made me hungry, so I had to leave. I hope he found what he was looking for...
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
I'd just been complaining out loud that I hadn't seen him up close in a while, so of course that's when he flew across the Avenue A playground with a pigeon.
After letting all the kids get a good look at his catch, he took it over to the chess tables where a small crowd gathered to watch.
But after several minutes of feather-plucking, he decided to take off. He flew to the north end of the park near 10th Street, but I lost him and never saw if he ate the pigeon himself or shared it with Dora.
Monday night, I found him hunting rats behind the park offices.
Birds and squirrels swarmed all over the area, but he seemed bent on getting the rats that ran around in the bushes under the birdbaths. I wanted to stay and watch him, but I got kicked out when the park employees locked the gate.
Lucky for me, Christo flew back out to the front of the offices and perched on the flagpole.
I don't know why he gave up on hunting in the back area, as he had a lot of dining options back there. He spent the next hour or so diving from the flagpole into the grassy area just to the west, failing to catch anything, then back up to the flagpole.
Watching him try to catch dinner over and over made me hungry, so I had to leave. I hope he found what he was looking for...
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Avenue A hawk update
The big news is that word has come in from the Ageloff Towers that Christo and Dora now have three eggs.
The first egg was laid around March 23 or 24, and the other two were laid some time between March 27 and April 5. My rough estimate is that we can look forward to hatchlings around the end of April or the first week of May.
Looking back at the nest last year on the Christodora, we can compare the size of the two air-conditioners. I think it will be pretty crowded up there this time around, but I have to trust that the hawks know what they're doing.
Other than that, it's a rather dull time for hawk-watching. There is almost always one bird on the nest, but they are not visible from the street when they're sitting down. You can catch them switching places when Christo comes to relieve Dora of nest duties and she takes off for a lunch break.
Christo is on the nest, but can't be seen as Dora comes in for a landing.
I've been seeing Dora perch on Village View on First Ave & 3rd St, and also on the cross of the Most Holy Redeemer on 3rd St & Ave A.
You can barely see Dora peeking over the eastern arm of the cross.
Dora resting on the dome.
Last season, Christo was almost always in Tompkins Square Park and I could easily find him. This year, he seems to have changed his habits and is spending more time in the neighborhood SE of the nest. I've seen him fly off that direction and return from there, but I have yet to find out where he goes. Once the eggs hatch, I'm hoping he'll do more hunting in the park where we'll be able to observe him more closely.
Christo atop the flag pole in Tompkins Square.
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
The first egg was laid around March 23 or 24, and the other two were laid some time between March 27 and April 5. My rough estimate is that we can look forward to hatchlings around the end of April or the first week of May.
Looking back at the nest last year on the Christodora, we can compare the size of the two air-conditioners. I think it will be pretty crowded up there this time around, but I have to trust that the hawks know what they're doing.
Other than that, it's a rather dull time for hawk-watching. There is almost always one bird on the nest, but they are not visible from the street when they're sitting down. You can catch them switching places when Christo comes to relieve Dora of nest duties and she takes off for a lunch break.
Christo is on the nest, but can't be seen as Dora comes in for a landing.
I've been seeing Dora perch on Village View on First Ave & 3rd St, and also on the cross of the Most Holy Redeemer on 3rd St & Ave A.
You can barely see Dora peeking over the eastern arm of the cross.
Dora resting on the dome.
Last season, Christo was almost always in Tompkins Square Park and I could easily find him. This year, he seems to have changed his habits and is spending more time in the neighborhood SE of the nest. I've seen him fly off that direction and return from there, but I have yet to find out where he goes. Once the eggs hatch, I'm hoping he'll do more hunting in the park where we'll be able to observe him more closely.
Christo atop the flag pole in Tompkins Square.
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Mr Rat's wild ride
It began on a lovely Sunday afternoon in Tompkins Square where Christo caught a rat...
...and then flew it around the farmer's market on Avenue A & 7th Street.
Pausing in a tree near the chess tables, Christo called Dora to come get lunch.
She was over on the nest at Avenue A & 3rd Street at the time, so I doubt she heard him.
Getting no response, he flew off with the rat, still calling...
...and took it up to the cross of the Most Holy Redeemer church, four blocks south of the park.
After calling to Dora to come and get it (and still getting no response from her), he left the rat up on top of the cross and flew back to the park. I couldn't see the rat from the street, but it struck me as being a sacrifice to the gods being up there like that. How many rats have been on top of that cross?
About 20 minutes later, Christo returned and retrieved the rat.
I thought he was going to fly it over to Dora, who was sitting on the nest, but he circled over Avenue A a few times, then took it over to Village View at First Avenue & 3rd Street.
I thought he'd eat it there, but no! A few minutes later, Christo took off with the rat again, made a few more circles over Avenue A, then headed east.
This all took about 45 minutes. As far as I know, Christo is still flying around with that rat...
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
...and then flew it around the farmer's market on Avenue A & 7th Street.
Pausing in a tree near the chess tables, Christo called Dora to come get lunch.
She was over on the nest at Avenue A & 3rd Street at the time, so I doubt she heard him.
Getting no response, he flew off with the rat, still calling...
...and took it up to the cross of the Most Holy Redeemer church, four blocks south of the park.
After calling to Dora to come and get it (and still getting no response from her), he left the rat up on top of the cross and flew back to the park. I couldn't see the rat from the street, but it struck me as being a sacrifice to the gods being up there like that. How many rats have been on top of that cross?
About 20 minutes later, Christo returned and retrieved the rat.
I thought he was going to fly it over to Dora, who was sitting on the nest, but he circled over Avenue A a few times, then took it over to Village View at First Avenue & 3rd Street.
I thought he'd eat it there, but no! A few minutes later, Christo took off with the rat again, made a few more circles over Avenue A, then headed east.
This all took about 45 minutes. As far as I know, Christo is still flying around with that rat...
See more photos on my Flickr page.
Previously.
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