In my last post, Christo the hawk cooled off by soaking in the birdbath in Tompkins Square. The following day was especially hot and humid, and I lucked out when I caught Dora beating the heat by taking a dip in the gutter of St Brigid's Church.
If I hadn't seen her fly up there, I might not have known she was there. She all but disappeared in the deep gutter and all that could be seen from the street was her head and little water droplets as she splashed around.
A quick shake to dry off...
...and it was back to the nest to check on the kids.
A little later, Christo joined Dora atop the cross at St Brigid's and the pair took in the sunset.
This week feels like someone flipped a switch and turned on summer. I caught up with Christo late last evening when the air was quite sultry, and found him hanging out in the shade on the northern part of the park.
Not satisfied with swinging in the breeze, Christo opted to cool his talons in the birdbath behind the park offices.
Ahhhhhh!
He wallowed in the pool for a good fifteen minutes. I wished I could join him as my feet were hurting, but he seemed to really enjoy his solitude.
Spa time over, it was back to work hunting for dinner.
The weather was tricky this last weekend, but I did manage to see the baby hawks in their nest in Tompkins Square when they stood up to flap their wings and show off for mom, Dora.
When the babies stand up on the edge of the nest, they appear as tall as the adults. You can see their wings are looking darker as the flight feathers grow in.
All of the above photos only show two babies at a time. For a brief moment on Sunday, I was able to capture all three, although it was a dark afternoon, so I couldn't get a very good photo.
Here is a short video of the kids with Dora:
And more Pollock-inspired hawklet art on the path below the nest...
Some of these birds, like the Tanager, have traveled all the way from South America. How wonderful they've decided to take a rest stop in our neighborhood. Look closely at the leafy treetops or on the ground among the short bushes and you'll see these colorful visitors.
It's been just over three weeks since the hawk eggs hatched in Tompkins Square, and now the babies are clearly visible when they peek over the edge of the nest.
Hello!
Dad Christo keeps watch while one of the youngsters flaps its wings.
This last weekend, I was able to see two of the three nestlings. The third is either still too short or too shy.
And we have pin feathers!
Here is some video of two of the chicks bobbing around while Christo stands guard.
At one point, Dora posed next to her masterpiece (she built up the base of the nest all on her own). You can really see how tall/deep the nest is. I'm guessing they must have a basement rec room in there.
Later, Dad and Mom took a break in the nearby honey locust.
After complaining in an earlier post that I don't often see much of Dora, I was happy to see her out and about on this afternoon. She can really strike a pose.
And despite being behind a curtain of foliage, she can still watch me like a...er...hawk.
Soaring past one of her favorite hangouts, St Brigid's church.
Note: Now that the baby hawks are big enough to look over the edge of the nest, they're showering the pathway below with their excrement. You may want to pack an umbrella when walking in this area.
At sunset Thursday evening, I found Dora the hawk taking a break atop the cross at St Brigid's on Avenue B. As soon as she landed, she was mobbed by an angry blue jay.
The jay dove at her about a hundred times, but Dora kept her cool.
After about 15 minutes, the jay calmed down and Dora was able to stretch.
Then it was time for a flight around the park before returning to the nest for the night.
