Monday, March 19, 2018

Christo and Dora getting serious in Tompkins Square

We finally had a sunny weekend, so I spent both Saturday and Sunday chasing hawks.  According to the informal poll I posted last week, "Barucha" appears to have beat out "Nora" for the name of the second female hawk.  The name reflects her territory and distinguishes her from Dora.

I visited the Baruch Houses over the weekend to check on the nest Christo and Barucha had going on an air-conditioner.  After a day of extreme wind on Friday, it looked like the sticks that had been on top of the air-conditioner had slid down one of the sides.  I wanted to see if the hawks would use the fallen sticks to create a more stable base for the nest.  However, I didn't have any luck seeing any hawks in the area on either Saturday or Sunday, so I'm not sure what the plans are for that nest.

Meanwhile, Dora has been very visible in the neighborhood, spending a lot of time in Tompkins Square as well as perches outside the park.  I was happy to see her sitting alongside Christo atop one of their old favorite hangouts on a 22-story Village View building at First Avenue and 4th Street.  Dora had no problem flying up there and soaring over the area.

Dora:

Dora

Dora

Dora

Christo:

Christo

Christo

Dora and Christo together in Tompkins Square:

Dora and Christo

Christo taking off:

Christo and Dora

Mating:

Christo and Dora mating

Christo takes a locust branch to the ginkgo tree nest in Tompkins Square:

Christo carries a stick to his nest

Christo in the nest:

Christo in his ginkgo nest

Christo catches a giant rat:

Christo with a rat

The rat was so big, Christo really struggled to fly with it, and he barely cleared the 4' fences around the park.  He and Dora shared this meal.

Christo with a rat

Dora catches the last rays of sun:

Dora

Flying down 8th Street:

Dora

Dora soaring high:

Dora

Christo and Dora have been mating a lot and continue to work on the ginkgo nest.  Dora is due to lay eggs any day, but I'm not sure about the status of Barucha at this time.  She and Christo were mating and sharing food a week ago, but I don't know if they will successfully breed.  Based on what I've observed over the last several days, it looks certain the Tompkins Square nest will play host to a hawk family this season.






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