Tompkins Square hawk fledglings still keeping us entertained in the park

We're still enjoying the antics of the red-tailed hawk fledglings in Tompkins Square Park. Fledgling #3, who was taken into rehab after an injury on July 27, is still getting care and will be released back into the park when the rehabbers are confident it is ready. Until then, the rest of the hawk family remains active in the area.

This is one of the older siblings.

This is the other one. The markings on their chests are slightly different.

I haven't been able to get a good photo recently of their tails fanned out, or that would be another way to identify the individuals.

This afternoon, I watched one fly back and forth across the central lawn, diving at mourning doves. When it missed, it would cry for the parents to feed it, but they are showing some tough love right now, and will only step in to provide food after the fledglings prove to be unsuccessful in their hunting attempts. Not to worry, though, as the parents will not let them starve.

Crying for food:

We're approaching the time when the young hawks will take off on their own. This usually happens after they are consistently successful at catching their own prey. From what I've seen the last few days, I think we'll be seeing them around a while longer.

And, of course, we have the return of Fledgling #3 to look forward to. Stay tuned...

Beware, the Spotted Lanternfly!

I had my first experience with Spotted Lanternflies in 2021 here in NYC. At that time, the only ones I saw were adults. This year, I've had the [dis]pleasure of discovering the nymphs.

Meet the fourth instar nymph, active in late summer:

It looks so innocent. Not so!

It turns out these little suckers can jump with lightning speed and can take down a foolish human, as I learned the hard way last week, as seen in this video.

I couldn't hurt a fly.

Starting in mid-July, I began finding the nymphs infesting Trees of Heaven everywhere I went. The trees, like the Lanternflies, are invasive species and are apparently a favorite habitat for the insects. 

This video shows them crawling all over the trunk of a Tree of Heaven in a Queens cemetery.

After shooting the video, I found them crawling all over me as well.

I have to say, I do find them beautiful. The red/black/white color pattern is really attractive and they're interesting to watch as they crawl around.

After living for a while as a nymph, the Spotted Lanternfly molts its juvenile body and emerges as an adult. In the photo below, the adult moth shakes off its old exoskeleton and unfurls its wings. Its body is petal pink, like a cherry blossom, but will soon turn beige with red patches and black spots.

The process is slow and the Lanternfly is very vulnerable at this stage. Here is a brief video clip of molting in action:

You can learn more about Spotted Lanternflies on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website. 

If you see any Spotted Lanternflies, it's helpful to report them on iNaturalist where their infestations can be tracked.

Tompkins Square red-tail fledgling doing well in rehab

Following up on last week's post about Tompkins Square hawk Fledgling #3 being taken to rehab, we hear that the hawk is doing well. X-rays showed no broken bones, but the hawk has a soft tissue injury, so it may have had a collision of some kind. It's currently being rehabbed by WINORR, and I'll update as soon as I know more information about its condition.

Below are some photos from last Thursday evening, when the hawk was captured by NYC Urban Park Ranger Sargeant Rob Mastrianni.

Netting the hawk as it perched on a fence:

Rob accomplished this in seconds and the hawk did not put up a fight. It was an extremely hot day and the hawk was likely hot and tired.

Rob performed a preliminary examination and could tell the hawk had a full crop of food and had something wrong with its left wing.

This video clip shows the moment just after the hawk was netted, and the gathering crowd applauded Rob.

Other than being unable to fly, the hawk appeared alert and responsive. As soon as Rob had it in his arms, the fledgling relaxed.

Sargeant Dan, who captured one of our fledglings last year, was also in attendance.

This video shows some close-ups of the hawk.

Bobby Horvath of WINORR arrived and quickly examined the hawk.

It was determined to take the hawk back to WINORR where tests and treatment could be administered. 

 

We thank Rob, Dan and Bobby for their quick response and care given to this hawk. They have done so much for caring for our city raptors and countless hawks are alive today because of their efforts.

Tompkins Square hawk fledgling rescued, taken to rehab

There was concern Thursday afternoon about one of the Tompkins Square Park red-tailed hawk fledglings as it had been observed perching on a fence for over an hour and didn't seem to be behaving right.

I believe this is Fledgling #3, the youngest of the trio.

NYC Urban Park Ranger Rob Mastrianni came to the rescue, quickly netting the hawk as it perched on a fence. After a quick examination, he called Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabiliation (WINORR) and decided the hawk should be taken to rehab for further evaluation.

It wasn't clear exactly what was wrong with the hawk, but it appeared to have a problem with one of its wings and could not fly very well.

Despite that, the hawk remained alert and displayed some energy as it nipped at Rob and flapped its wings several times.

I'll post more photos - and possible video - next week when I know more about the hawk's condition.

In the mean time, a huge thank you to Ranger Rob and Bobby Horvath from WINORR who wasted no time responding to the situation on the hottest afternoon of the hottest day this summer. Rob has rescued several of our fledglings, most recently just last week when one ended up in an air shaft on 10th Street.

And Bobby has cared for countless city raptors, including our Dora, who is now a permanent resident of Long Island.

 

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Below are some highlights of recent fledgling antics in the park.

 

This one took a bath in the pool and dried off on the ladder for a while. This is one of the older siblings, but I'm not sure if it's Fledgling #1 or #2.

This one climbed around in some bushes, looking for critters.

The same hawk then went and tried to pick a lock on a gate. Everything is a toy for these curious young birds.

On the prowl in a tree:

Carrying a piece of wood across one of the lawns:

Learning to balance on unstable branches:

Exploring the area behind the bathrooms:

All the fledglings have enjoyed using the scaffolding around the field house as a jungle gym. Workers inside the construction area told me they've enjoyed watching the hawks as they demolish the famously horrendous restrooms.

This fledgling appeared to be hunting cicadas around the base of a tree, periodically posing on the trunk as the insects made their way up the bark. There's always something for the hawks to investigate.

Stayed tuned for updates on the hawk rescue...