Fall bird migration has been underway for several weeks, and it's been a pretty good season so far. Below are some recent highlights seen around the city.
Join us as we chronicle the lives of East Village red-tailed hawks, Christo, Amelia, and Dora, as well as other New York City wildlife.
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Fall Bird Migration 2024 - Part 1
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Summer insects - Part 5
Summer doesn't technically end until this Sunday, so here is one more batch of summer insects seen around the city. I've had a really great time learning about insects new to me, as well as finding some of my favorites.
I tried all summer to catch one of these perched. I saw plenty of them flying around me and hovering, but it wasn't until this last weekend that one obliged me and posed for some photos.
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Molt time for hawks
It's mid-September, which tends to be the "quiet" time of year for our local red-tailed hawks. The breeding season is done, the youngsters have gone off on their own, and it's still too early for the next nesting cycle to begin. I like to think of it as vacation time for the hawks, and for me, as I take a little breather after an intense summer of hawk documentation.
I've not had any news regarding the Tompkins Square hawk fledgling who was/is staying at the Raptor Trust in New Jersey. As far as I know, it is doing well.
For now, I thought I'd post about molting. Starting in early to mid summer, the adult hawks begin their summer molt, where they shed their old feathers and grow a brand new set. This usually takes several weeks, and the hawks can look kind of disheveled as they go through the process.
This is Amelia in August. You can see that she's growing two new outer tail feathers (the little short ones), as well as a few primary feathers on her wings. Her head looks very white as she has lost many of her dark brown head/facial feathers.