Ready for their close-up

We continue to monitor the Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk family closely, and they're all looking well. The fledglings have been soaring high over the neighborhood, following dad Christo as he hunts for food. We've observed them atop the Christodora Building, their highest perch yet.

The other morning, we had the opportunity to see one of the fledglings up close as s/he hunted for rodents in a garden.

S/he is a real beauty.

This one didn't have much success finding prey under a bush, so they hopped up top to see if there was anything to be had there. Note the handy toilet paper roll nearby.

The park squirrels continue to torment the fledglings. To date, we've not seen the hawks catch one, but they sure do try. The squirrel in the photo below knew it was safe behind the fence. It felt so confident, it didn't even drop its peanut!

Hunting, playing and soaring is tiring, so the fledglings make time for a quick nap on a tree branch.

The fledglings this season seem to be more fearless than ever. Growing up in Tompkins Square, they are exposed to a lot of human activity and have a high tolerance for our presence. Dogs are an ever-present danger to them, but the one in the photo below was on a leash and behind a fence. Even so, the young hawks will need to learn to be more wary.

One of the fledglings looking very focused on a dark and humid morning:

Meanwhile, parents Amelia and Christo are keeping close watch over their offspring and remain in the area. Amelia seems to have retired to her summer home atop the dome of Most Holy Redeemer Church on E 3rd Street. We've not seen her involved in feeding the fledglings recently - handing that duty off to dad, Christo - but she remains vigilant and watches over their territory.

Christo (and Amelia) has begun his summer molt and is starting to look pale and scraggly. This is normal and he'll look worse as summer heats up and he sheds his ragged feathers. He always shows a pretty dramatic change as he molts, but will look dapper again in September.

Christo and Amelia atop Most Holy Redeemer the other night:

You can really see the size difference between the two, with Amelia being notably larger. Even while molting, they're a gorgeous pair.