The photos below show some of the dramatic changes in the Tompkins Square hawk chicks as they suddenly go from little fuzz balls to serious-looking raptors.
May 12: One of the trio peeks over the side of the nest. You can see its ear on the side of its head below its eye. Once the feathers grow in, the ears will be hidden.
At this stage, the pin feathers on the wings and tail are just starting to grow in.
May 15: Only three days later, you can see the pin feathers on the wings have grown a couple of inches.
May 17: Amelia is on the nest to the right, but it's getting pretty crowded up there. These photos were all taken with a telephoto from about two blocks away, and are heavily cropped. The nest is pretty well hidden except for this distant view.
All three with mom:
Still looking cute and fuzzy.
Judging by the lack of pin feathers, the chick below with its wings raised is the youngest. That said, I really can't tell who is who.
May 25: All three are looking much different! Their wing feathers have grown in, they have a yellowish color on their chests (this will turn white after a few weeks), and flecks of brown are showing on their heads. All three are alert and look good.
May 27: We've had a lot of dreary weather which has made photos difficult, but I like this one that shows all three siblings facing the same direction. Amelia is perched in a tree out of frame, and they are looking at her. The chick on the right may be the youngest as it still seems to have some white floof on its head. The chick on the left appears to have the most brown on its head, so perhaps it is the oldest. The chicks are just over a month old.
Check out that tail! You can also see quite a lot of downy feathers still on this chick's back.
I love the spotted pantaloons...
I also enjoy seeing the chicks observe each other as they jump and flap. The chick in the center seems to be studying its sibling intently.
Stay tuned...
