Quick Christo & Dora update

There's not much to report about local hawks, Christo and Dora, except that they are still working on a new nest in the old ginkgo tree in Tompkins Square Park.

This morning, I found them together on one of their favorite perches at Village View on First Avenue. Dora is on the left, and Christo is on the right.



They usually perch together on the chimney cover - I don't recall seeing either of them perch on the antenna before, so that's new. They seem content and have been spending a lot of time together.  In this case, no news is good news.

More fall migrants

Fall bird migration across the city began a few weeks ago, with American Redstarts being some of the first travelers seen making their way south.  Since then, many more have been passing through and below are a few recent highlights.

Black-and-White Warbler:  This little bird could fly as far as South America.



Northern Parula:  This is one of my favorite warblers as they are so lively and colorful. This one is headed for the Caribbean.



This is the same bird with a grub, fattening up for that long journey.



Ruby-Crowned Kinglet:  This one might fly to the American southwest, or down to Mexico.



Yellow-Rumped (Myrtle) Warbler:  This bird is also traveling southwest to warmer climes.



Cedar Waxwing:  I found this young waxwing on a sidewalk.  Flying through the city can be treacherous and way too many birds die after colliding with buildings.  For more information on how to help, see NYC Audubon's Project Safe Flight page. I'm hoping this little guy is back on its way to Central America.



Canada Warbler:  This female was foraging right at the St Mark's entrance to Tompkins Square Park.



This is the male, a real stunner.  These two could go as far south as Peru.



Ovenbird:  This bird is headed for Florida or the Carribean while its counterparts on the west coast overwinter in Central America.



Winter Wren:  A year ago, I was excited to see one of these in Tompkins Square.  I found the one below on Governors Island, on its way to the southeast.



Carolina Wren: This little wren is also heading to the southeast.



On this day, park-goers were captivated by the wren's lovely voice, which can be heard in this video:



Northern Cardinal: This is a year-round resident, but I love the color he brings to the trees, especially in fall as the leaves begin to turn.

Christo & Dora are back at work nest-building in the ginkgo tree

The weekend after Ten was last seen in Tompkins Square (September 10), Christo and Dora went to work building a new nest in the ginkgo tree on the east side of the park, which they previously used in 2016. 


Dora bringing leaves to the nest in April 2016.

September is very early for the hawks to be nest-building, but for the last two years, they have begun the task in October, so maybe they like to get ahead.  Christo and Dora are a well-bonded pair, and projects like this serve to reinforce their partnership.

Or, maybe they're just bored!

I hope they do decide to use the ginkgo tree again as I think it was a great location for them.  The tree itself is strong and can be easily defended from squirrels.  The cross at St Brigid's church is a perfect perch for the hawks, giving them a good view of the nest and surrounding area.  We won't know what their real plans are until January or February, but based on their past behavior, these hawks look pretty serious about this location.

In the mean time, Christo has been spending a lot of time on the east side of the park.  He's been perching in new locations near the ginkgo, which makes me think he's studying the area.

Christo has spent the last six weeks or so molting (Dora started and finished a bit earlier than him).  At one point, he looked to be missing so many feathers, I worried about his flying ability.



Seconds after this photo was taken, Christo lost one of his tail feathers, making him appear even more scraggly.



One evening, as Christo perched in a tree near the 7th Street entrance, I wondered aloud if he was able to hunt very well while missing so many feathers.  Just as I finished the sentence, Christo floated down from the tree and nabbed a rat right in front of me.

Ta-da!



How could I ever doubt the Master?



This week, Roger Paw caught Bobby, the male red-tail of Washington Square Park, in action catching a squirrel.  These hawks continue to amaze me - seeing them go about their business right here among us is just something we would never seen anywhere else.  



We are so fortunate the hawks allow us to see into their personal lives.  There is so much yet to understand about them.

Raptorfest 2017

Below are some highlights from Raptorfest 2017, which was held in Van Cortland Park in the Bronx this last Saturday.  Thanks to the NYC Urban Park Rangers for hosting the event, and to Bobby and Cathy Horvath from WINORR who generously shared their birds and patiently answered a million questions.  I love this event because it's a positive educational experience, and a lot of fun.

Raptorfest gives us the rare opportunity to see birds up close that we would not normally get to see in the wild.  For instance, this Peregrine Falcon.





We see Peregrines flying over the city and perching on high buildings fairly often, but I've never been just inches away from one. 



We do often see Kestrels in the city at street level, but it's still a thrill to see one in person.







Below, Ranger Rob introduces a Red-Tailed Hawk to some girls.





My personal fave is this Rough-Legged Hawk named Gypsy.  If she looks familiar, it's because I've photographed her before at Raptorfest 2014.



Her coloring and feathers are gorgeous.





This Ferruginous Hawk is native to the west, so we're not likely to see one flying around this area. Note the pale eyes.



This is an Eastern Screech Owl.





This otherworldly Barn Owl announced its presence with its terrifying voice. 



Much larger and intimidating than the Barn Owl s this Eurasian Eagle Owl.  The handler told me it weighs about ten pounds. Note the huge talon.





I did not enhance the color on these photos - the bright orange eye color is all natural.



I was really intrigued by this Pied Crow, who is native to Africa.  Apparently, this one talks, although he was shy while I was there and did not vocalize.



Finally, you can't have Raptorfest without a Bald Eagle.



Some size perspective...



This particular eagle is blind in one eye, and is unable to live in the wild.




See many more photos of Raptorfest 2017 here.


Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitaion (WINORR) is a non-profit volunteer organization that works tirelessly to care for sick and injured wildlife in the New York City area.  If you would like to help, please consider a donation to their fundraiser.

Raptor Fest 2017 coming up this Saturday

This Saturday, September 16, come join us at Raptor Fest in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. 



From the NYC Parks Department website:

Join NYC Parks at Raptor Fest hosted by the Urban Park Rangers. The event is free to the public and will include live demonstrations, a raptor viewing area, and education/activity tables. Activities are provided by the Urban Park Rangers; and live birds of prey are provided by Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation.

This event is a great way for kids to learn about birds of prey, while getting up close and personal with them. There will be birds on display, including falcons, hawks, and owls.

The event will be from 12:00-3:00pm and is a great opportunity to see a lot of cool birds close up and in action.

More details and directions can be found here.

Tompkins hawk fledgling is still with us, park birds take in some music

It seems our Tompkins hawk fledgling (the native one, Ten) is still hanging around the neighborhood.  She showed up in the park this last Saturday (September 9), perching in the nest tree near the Temperance Fountain and crying loudly.



She had a full crop, so I'm not sure why she was crying for food.  Neither Christo nor Dora responded, so the young hawk just hung out a while, resting and stretching.



She even "sung along" to some music in the park (I'm not sure which band is playing).



After about an hour, the hawk flew off towards Avenue A and I haven't seen her since then.

Speaking of birds and music, a female American Redstart caught an insect in the park during the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival on August 27.  In the video below, Joshua Redman plays sax in the background and the applause at the end is nearly perfectly timed.  May I suggest he form a group called Redman & The Redstarts?  You heard it here first!

Fall migration begins

It's that time of year when birds begin their fall migration south, and we start seeing many different types of birds passing through the city.  Below are a couple of colorful warblers to look out for in Tompkins Square.  They're tiny - smaller than sparrows - and move very quickly as they feed on insects in the trees.

Female American Redstart:









Black-throated Green Warbler: