Governors Island Hawks - Part 3

As noted previously, I have a ton of photos of red-tailed hawks on Governors Island that I never posted. Below are a few showing the current adult pair and a couple of their fledglings.

I spent a happy afternoon with one of the young hawks as it explored The Yard playground. 

The playground was closed, so there were no children around while the hawk was in the playground.

The hawk found a piece of something - maybe a sprinkler - and toyed with it a while.

It's so fun to watch young wildlife enjoy the same things young humans do.

This fledgling (left) probably could not believe its eyes when a squirrel scampered past it on a rooftop. Mom hawk (banded 42A on the right) also seemed incredulous to see the squirrel behave so boldly.

I don't think the squirrel saw the adult hawk until it ran past the chimney. Despite taking such a huge risk, the squirrel lived to see another day.

The fledgling hawk decided to chase after the squirrel after all, but its response was way too delayed.

Another fledgling rests on a structure on the parade ground.

This is dad, otherwise known as M2. I call him this as there was a previous male hawk and I don't have a good name for him. Suggestions are welcome!

He's a handsome hawk with caramel-colored eyes.

Both hawk families on Governors Island and in Tompkins Square Park did well this year, with both sets of parents raising three chicks to fledge.

Previously:

Governors Island Hawks - Part 1

Governors Island Hawks - Part 2

 

Butterflies and friends

Late summer, after bird breeding season is done and migration has not yet begun, I like to fill the time looking for insects. Below are a few highlights seen in New York and Florida. 

Painted Lady butterfly: 

Black Dancer damselfly:

Common Buckeye:

Monarch butterfly:

Gulf Fritillary butterfly:

Red Saddlebags dragonfly:

Eastern Amberwing:

Skipper:

Bumblebee:

Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly:

Bird Grasshopper:

Female Blue Dasher:

Ceraunus Blue butterfly:

Phaon Crescent butterfly:

Roseate Skimmer:

Green Darner:

Mourning Cloak butterfly:

Duskywing:

Dainty Sulphur butterfly:

Sulphur butterfly:

Mid-August check-in with the Tompkins Square hawk family

I haven't seen much of the Tompkins Square Park red-tailed hawk fledglings recently, but I did catch a couple of them in the park last week. As it was late in the day and the light was fading, I was only able to get a few photos of one of them. 

As always, the park squirrels keep a close eye on the hawks.

The two fledglings that were in the park appeared to be doing well, and I have to trust the third sibling is also okay. At this time of year, as the young hawks leave the area and go off on their own, we just have to have confidence they can take care of themselves.

 

Below are some photos of hawk parents, Amelia and Charlie, from earlier in the summer.

 

This is Amelia being pestered by a Mockingbird as she minded her own business perched on the church cross at Avenue A & E 10th Street. 

This is Amelia flying up to one of the towers of St Brigid's church on Avenue B.

This is Charlie hanging out in the skateboard park one afternoon in July. He perched above the fence, watching critters run around in the bushes below.

After about an hour of waiting, he dove down to the bushes and flew back up to the top of the fence gripping a rat.

It may be hard to see in the photos, but the rat is in his right talon.

Getting ready to take off, Charlie grips the rat with both talons.

Charlie kindly flew right past me as he took his rat to another part of the park.

I had to use my phone to get this photo, but Charlie can be seen perched on the branch right above the short-lived Hell Ride ramp.

He stayed up there for over an hour as skateboarders performed their tricks. I was hoping he'd dive down in front of the eagle, but no such luck.