It's a balmy 60 degrees today and Tompkins Square red-tailed hawks, Amelia and Christo, confirm spring is on the way.
The pair have been staying close to home, working on their nest and preparing for a new season of chicks. They were first seen mating on February 6, which may be the earliest we can remember.
We caught up with Amelia the other day as she inspected her nest.
Christo also checked out the nest. It's held together remarkably well over the last year despite several major storms.
Amelia goes hunting for the perfect stick in a sycamore tree:
She finds the one she wants in a scholar tree:
It takes a lot of gymnastics to break one off.
Success!
It's hard to see in the photo below, but Amelia is bringing in a stick that's longer than the nest is wide - about five feet long! We watched her as she collected it by jumping up and down on a branch until it broke, then catching it in her talons as it fell. She then flew it halfway across the park to the nest.
Christo finds a nice stick specimen.
Into the nest he goes.
After an hour or so of hard work, the pair take a break.
The hawks generally work on the nest right up until egg-laying time, which is usually mid-March. You can check out the nesting dates from previous years here.
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