Preparing to fledge

The Tompkins Square hawklets are looking really good.  They've been getting their exercise, hopping and flapping, preparing themselves for fledging the nest.  My guess is they'll be ready the second week of June, but they will know when the time is right.

As the leaves fill in on the ginkgo tree, it's been harder to get a clear shot of the youngsters, but they are easily visible from the ground when they stand up and move around.



One of them looks to be a day or so older than the other two.  In the photo below, you can see the middle hawk has some dark feathers on its head while the other two are still mostly white and fuzzy.



All of them have well developed wings.



You can see their size compared to mom, Dora, on the right.  When they fledge, they'll be close to her size.



Showing off for mom (on the left) by catching some air...





Piggy back!







Check out my wingspan!





You can see many more recent hawk photos here.

Over all, the Tompkins hawk family seems pretty relaxed and content with this nest.  I get the impression they are comfortable up there, with more room to stretch out than they had in their previous air-conditioner locations.  The tree nest also has the added benefit of leaves to provide shade and branches for the young hawks to climb.  The next week or two should be exiting as they explore the world beyond the nest.