It's September and I'm happy that the remaining Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk fledgling is still hanging around the park and neighborhood. In years past, we've had fledglings leave the area any time from early to late August. A few have stuck around in September, but it's a treat to still be seeing this one.
On a recent evening, a friend alerted me to the hawk, who was perched in a tree within the park.
It had previously caught and eaten a rat, so was resting in the shade, watching all the park activity.
After a while, the hawk stretched and then was up and about.
The hawk flew down to an area where rats get active late in the day, and perched on a fence to wait.
It didn't take long. After maybe ten minutes of picking out just the right one, the hawk dropped down and quickly grabbed a medium-sized rat. It then brought the rat up to the top of the fence.
At one point, I said, "Show us what you've got!" and the hawk crouched down to take off from the fence.
It came right towards me and brushed my face with its wing. The photos after this one are all a blur because it was too close. I guess it decided to give me a close look at that rat, LOL.
It was perfect timing as the sun went down and it was time to leave the park. I left feeling happy the hawk had a successful afternoon.
