My nephew and I spent an hour walking about the northwest section of Central Park this afternoon looking for the red-tailed hawks but luck was not with us. From Douglass Circle over the Great Hill, along the service road to Green Hill, back up the Loch and then up to the North Woods via park paths, nada. Just lots and lots of blue jay activity to drive me nuts thinking there just had to be a hawk in the area.
So finally back out of the park and on our way back to Morningside Heights. So where would you expect to find a "Cathedral hawk"? Yes, of course, the Cathedral. Who knew? At 3:25 we looked up from the corner of Manhattan Ave. and 110th St. to find one of the adult red-tails perched quietly on Gabriel's horn.
The view from last summer's hawkwatching locale on 113th St. seemed to indicate that the hawk was Tristan. Note the relatively light belly band, although my messing with the pic in Photoshop might be part of that.
This was, BTW, the first time I have seen one of the hawks perched atop the Cathedral since... the end of last July. Others have sighted hawks there from time to time, just not me.
Whilst there, I also checked the nest site to see if there was any obvious signs that it had been added to.
Close comparison with a pic that I took on Christmas day suggests that perhaps there's an extra twig or two on St. Andrew's right shoulder. But more interesting is the algae growth that has bloomed. December's pic did shown some dark green streaks on St. Andrew's head and left forearm, but this newer pic shows the algae has spread and is somewhat greener. A result of the ridiculously warm weather of late? Hmmm. Well, perhaps the cold snap we're supposed to get later this week will set it back.
I should also go back and check the statues nearby to see if they are similarly covered. One wonders if the hawk nest may be causing the growth.
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