2/6, Central Park Great Hill

On a cold Sunday afternoon, I got the camera out for what seemed like the first time since last May. I headed over to Central Park, and within a minute of entering at the West 103rd St entrance, I saw a hawk fly across the path ahead and up the Great Hill. And then another!

The second hawk didn't go far, perching partway up the hill. Ah-ha, a juvenile red-tailed hawk.

It flew a little further up the slope, where it made a couple forays afterf a squirrel.

And then almost all the way up the hill where it perched right above the path.

And then all the way back down the hill to somewhere near the Pool. I wondered around for a half hour without seeing much, but as I was close to leaving the park, there he was again, very close to the Pool.

7/5, Riverside at 102

Due to our crazy schedule, we haven't been over to check on the Riverside red-tailed hawk nest since May, with one brief exception on a windy mid-June Sunday evening when any self-respecting hawk had probably gone to roost for the evening.

Unfortunately, there was sad news from the nest site a week ago. Although all three baby hawks had fledged, probably a week earlier if not closer to two, reports were that one of them was observed on June 29 as being grounded and apparently sick. The bird was caught and taken to the Wild Bird Fund, but we have heard that it died the next day.

5/13, Riverside at 102

The baby red-tailed hawks at the Riverside Drive are now big enough to be seen during feeding. Two were visible Monday afternoon about 4:15.

First view of the nest on Monday showed the mama hawk perched on the bare branch that sticks out to the side of the nest. Just chilling and preening and maybe watching passers by on the park walkway below. Also the cars making the loud and almost constant drone below.

Then she popped up and flew a tight loop and landed on the nest just as papa arrived with food.

After which he took off and mama started feeding the nestlings. At first she was toward the right side of the nest and one could just see the top of the fuzzy head of one nestling to her left as it was getting fed. Then one could see a bit more of it, including a few beak-to-beak transfers of morsels.

But then mama switched to the left side of the nest and quickly enough two baby hawk heads became very visible.

If there's a third baby hawk up there, then it's likely the youngest, not big enough yet to be seen or to muscle its way in for a bite. Hard to say at this point, but it should be easier to decide in a few days.