Tompkins Square hawks make their own cooling center

As the city continues to experience an extended heat wave, the Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk fledglings have been seen making use of the park sprinklers to cool off. 

This was the scene on a recent muggy evening:

These video clips show the hawk hop, flap, and roll around in the water.

In addition to flapping around in the sprinkles, the hawk got down in the puddle water to wet its underside.

The fanned tail reveals this to be our funky-tailed individual.

After the bath, it's time to go to a higher perch to dry off.

It's been nice to see the majority of people in the park giving these hawks their space as they learn to hunt and take care of themselves. 

 

However, it's important to stay vigilant and speak up if someone gets too close. It's tempting to walk up to the hawks as they perch on the fences, but they are not tame, and have talons that are designed to shred flesh. These hawks are beloved by our community and we want to see them continue to thrive. If you see anyone harassing the hawks, please call 311 and report them the Park Police or the Urban Park Rangers. Red-tailed hawks (and nearly all the other birds in the park) are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, with violators being subject to fines and/or jail time.

Hawk fledglings chase squirrels, catch prey, and play in a sprinkler

The Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk fledglings have really been spectacular the last several days as they demonstrate their ever-improving hunting skills.

The young hawks always go for the squirrels, who easily out-maneuver them, but there have been a few close strikes. The squirrel in these photos seemed to have no fear as it taunted the hawk, but its luck may change some day.

Those are serious talons!

This fledgling took several runs at a squirrel on a tree, but came up short each time.

However, the hawks have had success catching their own prey. This one grabbed a pigeon right in front of me. They have also caught rats and mice.

After getting so much exercise chasing prey around the park, this fledgling decided to cool off in one of the playground sprinklers.

These videos show the hawk's thorough bathing process.

After the shower, the hawk flew up to a fence to dry off. Seeing them use the sprinklers is something I look forward to each year.

I'm really happy to see this trio making so much progress seeing as they have only been out of the nest for less than a month. The time flies quickly, so if you're passing through the park in the next couple of weeks, be sure to seek them out before they decide to take off on their own.

Shower scene

While one of the Tompkins Square hawk fledglings was showering over at the swimming pool, its sibling decided to frolic in the sprinkler behind the park offices.

Let's play!





Note the big stick in the photos above - it made the perfect hawk toy.













After playing with the stick for several minutes, the hawk settled in for a thorough shower.





When a hawk shakes, it creates rainbows!





Also check out Urban Hawks, who has some beautiful hawk shower photos.

Summer fun with the Tompkins Square red-tailed hawk fledglings

It's July 1, summer is in full swing, and the Tompkins Square Park red-tailed hawk fledglings are three months old.

This photo was taken May 1:



Two months later, the chicks are all grown up!





I've been happy to see the three siblings spending so much time in the park this season. They seem to be in no hurry to go anywhere, and appear healthy and content. Parents, Christo and Amelia, will continue to look after them as long as is necessary.

There's still a lot for the fledglings to learn, including catching their own prey.



I love that all three siblings are spending so much time together. When I look back on the previous seasons, I don't recall any of the fledglings being so interested in each other. There may have been a few weeks after leaving the nest that the young hawks stayed in close proximity for food, or because they were not yet accustomed to being on their own, but I don't remember any who spent so much time playing and hanging out with each other as these guys have been doing.



It's been a privilege to be able to observe them so closely.



















On a recent morning, these two were swooping around the park, finally settling together on the grass.







Maybe they were inspired by robins, as the hawk on the left began pulling earthworms from the ground as the one on the right watched.



The third one had to join the fun!



I love that all three are extremely curious and sociable with one another. Except for one incident when two fledglings fought over breakfast, I haven't really seen any aggression between them. If anything, they've been doing a lot of playing together.

As it gets hotter, all the hawks need to cool off. We've often seen Christo chilling out in his birdbath spa, Amelia taking a dip in the gutter of St Brigid's church, and fledglings of the past cooling off in the park sprinklers. This summer is no exception, and I caught a couple of the hawk kids finding relief from the heat this last week by taking runs through one of the water features when no one was around.



















I mentioned in the last couple of posts that at least one fledgling has been spending some time outside the park. This is one of the kids exploring some rooftop transmitters along Avenue A.



This is the same fledgling soaring over the park, just like mom and dad.



I hope we can continue enjoying the antics of the fledglings in the park as long as possible. They've been responsible for lifting my spirits during an otherwise unbearable time, and I hope others are benefiting from their presence as well.