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.

 

 

Tompkins Square hawks gone wild

I really love how the fledgling red-tailed hawks thrill people in Tompkins Square Park. A lot of the time, the birds go unnoticed as they hang out in conspicuous places.

Then again, they deliver some shock and awe to unsuspecting observers. The fledgling below was playing on the grass, then suddenly took off.

We have to remember these young hawks are still learning to fly and haven't quite mastered all aspects of flight control. I think we all assumed this fledgling would make a turn earlier in its flight path...then that moment of realization the the hawk is still heading straight ahead.

LOL. It's hard to tell if the hawk knew what it was doing here when it pulled up at the last second.

This particular individual put on quite a show on this afternoon. It pulled many crazy flight maneuvers, played with sticks in the grass, chased after squirrels, and perched in places where people could easily admire it. 

This is one of the other siblings minutes after it caught a pigeon. Having accomplished that, it quickly looked around for another opportunity.

This fledgling conquers a big stick.

It's getting harder to find the hawks in the park now that they're exploring the area more. A good way to find them is to listen to other birds (particularly robins and blue jays) screaming about their presence. The sound of angry birds usually means there's a hawk nearby.

Although the fledglings are well on their way to self-sufficiency, dad Charlie is still there to help out with providing food. I caught him hunting from a light pole in the park on a recent morning.

And mom Amelia is ever present, watching over the whole family.

Keep an eye out on the streets surrounding the park for fledglings who may be perched on buildings. They have been taking an interest in the pigeon flocks that reside around the park and have been spending more time on the perimeter. 

 

 

Tompkins Square hawk fledgling plays with a feather, catches a pigeon

One of the cutest things I've observed this hawk season in Tompkins Square is seeing one of the fledglings play with a hawk feather molted by one if its parents.

This might be my favorite image from this season.

The young hawks will play with almost anything and feathers make good toys.

The fledgling chases after the feather as it blows away.

A little video:

After wearing itself out hunting the feather, the hawk takes a rest in the grass.

Passers-by were worried about the hawk as it laid in the grass, but this is perfectly normal.

One of the hawk's siblings, however, wanted to play.

Hey, get up!

The first hawk finally did get up, and took off to explore the flower beds.

Meanwhile, the second hawk laid down to sunbathe in the early morning sun.

After rest time, the two hawks enjoyed some time stalking squirrels in the garden.

On the prowl...

On a recent morning, I saw one of the fledgling hawks catch its own pigeon. I'm not sure if this was its first, but judging from the way it caught it (a bit clumsy), I think it could be.

The young hawks have been seen catching rats, so they are on their way to becoming less reliant on their parents for food. Once they are self-sufficient, they will be ready to embark on their migration out of the territory. This usually happens in August or September, so we still have time to enjoy their presence around the park.