It looks certain at this point that there is only one baby hawk in the Tompkins Square nest. Dora spent this Mother's Day feeding, preening and keeping her little one company. The whole family looks to be doing well.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to hawk mom, Dora, and her hawklet.
It looks certain at this point that there is only one baby hawk in the Tompkins Square nest. Dora spent this Mother's Day feeding, preening and keeping her little one company. The whole family looks to be doing well.
It looks certain at this point that there is only one baby hawk in the Tompkins Square nest. Dora spent this Mother's Day feeding, preening and keeping her little one company. The whole family looks to be doing well.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Springtime at Governors Island
Governors Island opened a month early this year, so I decided to visit and see what birds might be out there during spring migration. I was thrilled to find the island alive with bird song. Below are some of the highlights from a few visits I made since May 1.
Tree Swallows are abundant and gorgeous.
A parent peeks out of a nest box.
There are more Barn Swallows than I've ever seen before. I was happy to catch a few of them perched.
When the lawnmower is out, the swallows chase behind and catch insects disturbed from the grass.
The high point of my first day on the island was seeing three Bobolinks (apparently there were at least six there on that day).
I'd never seen one before, so it was really exciting when one landed right in front of me.
The island is full of Song Sparrows...
...singing their hearts out.
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler:
An Eastern Kingbird:
A Rose-Breasted Grosbeak:
There was some commotion, so I looked up to see an immature Red-Tailed Hawk being mobbed by a Crow and about twenty Gulls.
Poor guy!
Currently, there is a large population of Red-Winged Blackbirds on the island and their calls fill the air.
A female Blackbird eats a grasshopper.
Opening the island early enabled me to see some birds I never would have otherwise, so it would be great if the season could be extended in the fall as well.
See many more Governors Island birds on my Flickr Page.
Tree Swallows are abundant and gorgeous.
A parent peeks out of a nest box.
There are more Barn Swallows than I've ever seen before. I was happy to catch a few of them perched.
When the lawnmower is out, the swallows chase behind and catch insects disturbed from the grass.
The high point of my first day on the island was seeing three Bobolinks (apparently there were at least six there on that day).
I'd never seen one before, so it was really exciting when one landed right in front of me.
The island is full of Song Sparrows...
...singing their hearts out.
A Yellow-Rumped Warbler:
An Eastern Kingbird:
A Rose-Breasted Grosbeak:
There was some commotion, so I looked up to see an immature Red-Tailed Hawk being mobbed by a Crow and about twenty Gulls.
Poor guy!
Currently, there is a large population of Red-Winged Blackbirds on the island and their calls fill the air.
A female Blackbird eats a grasshopper.
Opening the island early enabled me to see some birds I never would have otherwise, so it would be great if the season could be extended in the fall as well.
See many more Governors Island birds on my Flickr Page.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Blue grosbeak eats bees in Battery Park
A celebrity bird has come to town. This one hasn't attracted the huge crowds that the Painted Bunting drew in 2015, but he is a rare and special visitor nonetheless.
Meet the Blue Grosbeak:
This young male was spotted at the beehives in Battery Park on Monday and his presence quickly made the birding news circuit. It's easy to see why - he's quite spectacular.
I've never seen a Blue Grosbeak before, so I was (and still am) pretty excited to see him.
I was especially interested to see him in action, feasting on bees.
One bee watches as her pal gets chomped.
If you're in the Battery Park area, it's worth paying this little guy a visit.
See more photos of this handsome guy on my Flickr page.
Meet the Blue Grosbeak:
This young male was spotted at the beehives in Battery Park on Monday and his presence quickly made the birding news circuit. It's easy to see why - he's quite spectacular.
I've never seen a Blue Grosbeak before, so I was (and still am) pretty excited to see him.
I was especially interested to see him in action, feasting on bees.
One bee watches as her pal gets chomped.
If you're in the Battery Park area, it's worth paying this little guy a visit.
See more photos of this handsome guy on my Flickr page.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Tompkins Square hawk nest status remains a mystery
The number of hawk babies up in the nest in Tompkins Square is still difficult to determine. Christo and Dora definitely have one, possibly more, but it's been a challenge to get a good view of what's happening up there. We will just have to wait for the nestling(s) to get bigger.
Over the weekend, I managed to get this rather awful photo of Dora feeding a chick. It's the whitish blob to the right of the branch that runs vertically up from the nest in the center of the photo.
The weather has also been uncooperative for photos - it's been mostly cloudy, rendering the nest dark. When the sun comes out, the hawks cover the nest. There's not been too much activity other than Christo hunting and Dora fetching greenery once in a while.
Here she is with a long piece of bark.
I found Christo hanging out in his favorite patch of wildflowers.
What did he picked up from the grass?
It's small, dark and pointy...
It's a severed starling head!
He flew right at me with it and made his "growling" sounds. I've never heard another hawk make the sounds he does and I can't seem to find any documentation on this type of vocalization. If anyone knows about this, I'd love to know more. The sound he makes is not the hawk scream, or the food cry, but it's more like a low cat growl. He does it while flying.
Christo took the starling head to a nearby tree and ate it. He usually eats the head of his prey first, so I was surprised to see him scavenge this one. Perhaps he dropped it earlier when he caught the starling. The patch of wildflowers under the locust tree on the east side of the park seems to be a dumping ground for discarded prey parts, so anyone thinking of laying on the grass in there should take note.
Christo recently displayed some other interesting behavior. I've previously seen him scrape the fur off a squirrel tail before eating the rest of the squirrel. I assumed he did this so the furry tail didn't tickle his face while eating. On this day, however, Christo ate some squirrel and then removed the fur from the tail. He took the bare-tailed body back to the nest.
Although he left the bare tail on the squirrel, Christo did clip off the fuzzy tip, which fell to the ground in front of me.
On Sunday, Christo was harassed by a kestrel while perching on top of the Christodora. No respect!
Meanwhile, a plastic bag made its way up to the nest. I don't believe the hawks took it up there - it likely blew up there on its own. After a couple of days, it was gone. Just a reminder that our litter does affect wildlife.
I hope to have an update on the number of baby hawks soon. I'll post when I know.
Over the weekend, I managed to get this rather awful photo of Dora feeding a chick. It's the whitish blob to the right of the branch that runs vertically up from the nest in the center of the photo.
The weather has also been uncooperative for photos - it's been mostly cloudy, rendering the nest dark. When the sun comes out, the hawks cover the nest. There's not been too much activity other than Christo hunting and Dora fetching greenery once in a while.
Here she is with a long piece of bark.
I found Christo hanging out in his favorite patch of wildflowers.
What did he picked up from the grass?
It's small, dark and pointy...
It's a severed starling head!
He flew right at me with it and made his "growling" sounds. I've never heard another hawk make the sounds he does and I can't seem to find any documentation on this type of vocalization. If anyone knows about this, I'd love to know more. The sound he makes is not the hawk scream, or the food cry, but it's more like a low cat growl. He does it while flying.
Christo took the starling head to a nearby tree and ate it. He usually eats the head of his prey first, so I was surprised to see him scavenge this one. Perhaps he dropped it earlier when he caught the starling. The patch of wildflowers under the locust tree on the east side of the park seems to be a dumping ground for discarded prey parts, so anyone thinking of laying on the grass in there should take note.
Christo recently displayed some other interesting behavior. I've previously seen him scrape the fur off a squirrel tail before eating the rest of the squirrel. I assumed he did this so the furry tail didn't tickle his face while eating. On this day, however, Christo ate some squirrel and then removed the fur from the tail. He took the bare-tailed body back to the nest.
Although he left the bare tail on the squirrel, Christo did clip off the fuzzy tip, which fell to the ground in front of me.
On Sunday, Christo was harassed by a kestrel while perching on top of the Christodora. No respect!
Meanwhile, a plastic bag made its way up to the nest. I don't believe the hawks took it up there - it likely blew up there on its own. After a couple of days, it was gone. Just a reminder that our litter does affect wildlife.
I hope to have an update on the number of baby hawks soon. I'll post when I know.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Colors of spring
Spring bird migration is underway and below are a few visitors who are passing through the East Village. Except where noted, these were all found in Tompkins Square Park.
Eastern Towhee (male):
I really liked his drink your tea song, which can be heard here.
I waited near these spectacular pink cherry blossoms for a bird to pose. After an hour of waiting, the Towhee finally perched for about two seconds.
Female Towhee:
One of my favorites, the Northern Parula. Their colors really popped on an otherwise dark and dreary day.
This little guy was stuffing himself with insects found in the leafy branches of a Red Oak tree.
Black and White Warbler:
While the Parulas hunted insects in the branches of the oak tree, the Black and White focused on insects found in the bark of the trunk.
As this is a year-round resident (they also migrate), I often take the Blue Jay for granted, but they really are stunning. The one below was foraging in the garden at Avenue B and 6th Street.
Blue Jays are talented mimics, and I've been tricked many times by jays making hawk calls in Tompkins Square. I've had some embarrassing moments running across the park thinking I am following Christo, only to find a jay in his place. Here is an example of a Blue Jay impersonating a Red-shouldered hawk.
Palm Warbler:
House Finch (male):
Tufted Titmouse:
Apparently, Titmice have a thing for hair. They like to use it in their nests. Here is a video of one plucking fur from a dog, and another goes for a lady's head. Hang on to your toupees!
White-Breasted Nuthatch:
Goldfinch (male):
Baltimore Oriole (male):
In addition to the Blue Jay, another bird I take for granted is the House Sparrow. At first glance, they appear boring brown, but they really are colorful, especially the rusty cap on the males. Of all the birds in the park, I think they are the most numerous and social. They're always willing to pose for photos.
Is this my good side?
I've been seeing more Grackles in this city this year. I really love their iridescent blue and purple feathers that contrast with their bright yellow eyes.
More to come...
Eastern Towhee (male):
I really liked his drink your tea song, which can be heard here.
I waited near these spectacular pink cherry blossoms for a bird to pose. After an hour of waiting, the Towhee finally perched for about two seconds.
Female Towhee:
One of my favorites, the Northern Parula. Their colors really popped on an otherwise dark and dreary day.
This little guy was stuffing himself with insects found in the leafy branches of a Red Oak tree.
Black and White Warbler:
While the Parulas hunted insects in the branches of the oak tree, the Black and White focused on insects found in the bark of the trunk.
As this is a year-round resident (they also migrate), I often take the Blue Jay for granted, but they really are stunning. The one below was foraging in the garden at Avenue B and 6th Street.
Blue Jays are talented mimics, and I've been tricked many times by jays making hawk calls in Tompkins Square. I've had some embarrassing moments running across the park thinking I am following Christo, only to find a jay in his place. Here is an example of a Blue Jay impersonating a Red-shouldered hawk.
Palm Warbler:
House Finch (male):
Tufted Titmouse:
Apparently, Titmice have a thing for hair. They like to use it in their nests. Here is a video of one plucking fur from a dog, and another goes for a lady's head. Hang on to your toupees!
White-Breasted Nuthatch:
Goldfinch (male):
Baltimore Oriole (male):
In addition to the Blue Jay, another bird I take for granted is the House Sparrow. At first glance, they appear boring brown, but they really are colorful, especially the rusty cap on the males. Of all the birds in the park, I think they are the most numerous and social. They're always willing to pose for photos.
Is this my good side?
I've been seeing more Grackles in this city this year. I really love their iridescent blue and purple feathers that contrast with their bright yellow eyes.
More to come...
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