Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk fledglings are still hunting around the park

It's getting trickier to find all three Tompkins Square Red-Tailed hawk fledglings, but they're still spending time in the park. Lately, they've often been hidden in the dense leaves of trees as they get better at being hunters.

This one suddenly appeared in the open during a recent visit when it dove after...something.

Not to worry, though, as the young hawks are still making appearances for photo-ops. 

Two of the three were spotted chasing after things in one of the garden areas recently, but it's getting harder to catch them together like this.

Look at those legs!

All three fledglings are able to catch their own prey now, but they still call on mom and dad to help feed them. The big American Elm tree west of the Temperance Fountain is a popular spot for them to hang out and eat.

When it's hot, the birds will hold their wings out to cool off. They also open their mouths, which is normal.

Diving like dad, Charlie.

They're looking more grown up every day.

Tompkins Square hawks dealing with the weather

We've had some crazy weather over the last week including record high temperatures, dangerous air from Canadian wildfire smoke, and several severe rain storms. While I can take shelter when ever I want, our wildlife is outside 24/7 enduring these conditions.

Saturday afternoon, I found one of the Tompkins Square Red-Tailed Hawk fledglings drying out after a rain storm. It was perched on a structure south of the park on 7th Street, where it was able to take advantage of a breeze. 

A few minutes prior, I found mom Amelia in the park during a downpour. She looked miserable and would probably hate this photo of her, LOL.

Before the cleansing rain, we had a couple of days of orangish-brown smoky skies caused by wildfires in Ontario. I had to wear a mask because the air irritated my lungs, but the birds were out and about as usual. I saw two of the three fledglings soaring over the park - this is a photo of one of them. The sky and bird look muddy.

And here's a view of Amelia perched on Most Holy Redeemer in the murk. She's barely visible at the bottom left of the dome.

Although the air was bad for a few days, it wasn't as bad as June 7, 2023, when the sky over NYC turned a surreal orange. I always worry about the wildlife during these times, having to breathe such bad quality air. When the rain finally comes, it must feel like a relief.

 

 

An appreciation of Ospreys

Summer in NYC is Osprey season. 

They need access to water where they can fish, and we have a lot of that around here. This pair has built a nest along the East River, seen here with the Manhattan Bridge in the background.

To learn about what goes on in an Osprey nest, I always recommend tuning in to the Hellgate (Montana) Osprey Cam which features Iris, the oldest known Osprey (around 30 years old). She is an incredible bird and is raising one chick this year with her new mate, Clark.

 

The Osprey below kept teasing me by flying close to the moon, but never past it. Ah, well. 

Here is a sequence of an Osprey going for a fish.

Failing to nab a fish, the Osprey opted for a bath instead.

It takes an enormous amount of strength to lift and flap itself out of the water.

I could watch Ospreys diving all day. A good place to see them fishing is the salt marsh at Marine Park in Brooklyn, or Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens.