I really love how the fledgling red-tailed hawks thrill people in Tompkins Square Park. A lot of the time, the birds go unnoticed as they hang out in conspicuous places.
Then again, they deliver some shock and awe to unsuspecting observers. The fledgling below was playing on the grass, then suddenly took off.
We have to remember these young hawks are still learning to fly and haven't quite mastered all aspects of flight control. I think we all assumed this fledgling would make a turn earlier in its flight path...then that moment of realization the the hawk is still heading straight ahead.
LOL. It's hard to tell if the hawk knew what it was doing here when it pulled up at the last second.
This particular individual put on quite a show on this afternoon. It pulled many crazy flight maneuvers, played with sticks in the grass, chased after squirrels, and perched in places where people could easily admire it.
This is one of the other siblings minutes after it caught a pigeon. Having accomplished that, it quickly looked around for another opportunity.
This fledgling conquers a big stick.
It's getting harder to find the hawks in the park now that they're exploring the area more. A good way to find them is to listen to other birds (particularly robins and blue jays) screaming about their presence. The sound of angry birds usually means there's a hawk nearby.
Although the fledglings are well on their way to self-sufficiency, dad Charlie is still there to help out with providing food. I caught him hunting from a light pole in the park on a recent morning.
And mom Amelia is ever present, watching over the whole family.
Keep an eye out on the streets surrounding the park for fledglings who may be perched on buildings. They have been taking an interest in the pigeon flocks that reside around the park and have been spending more time on the perimeter.
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