5/3, Hawk Up!

Not that Wednesday's report was intended to cast aspersions on Tristan's ability to provide for his hawk family. He's a handsome hawk, and Thursday demonstrated that he's fulfilling his familial duties just fine.

Anyway, on Thurday I walked down 113th St. toward the nest at about 5:55. No sign of Tristan hunting the parking lot. And the nest at the east end of the Cathedral looks empty too. But just as I was turning to look another direction, Isolde fluttered into the south entrance of the nest. Perhaps she's been perched on a nearby finial. Almost immediately, she stepped over to the other side of the nest and began feeding her nestlings.

Well, I thought she'd begun feeding then. But if not, then a minute later Tristan must have delivered food, because he fluttered into the south side of the nest. He left immediately, like within seconds.

Isolde looked around for a moment...

... and then the feeding really began. A few minutes later Tristan re-appeared, perched on Gabriel's horn.

About then Bruce Yolton also arrived and also began taking pictures.

It was a long feeding and we barely saw Isolde's head during the next 15 minutes. Finally she came up for air. Then for a moment it looked she was hunkering down into the nest. But wait... she's in the air.

Isolde did a loop to the north, then one to the southeast, north again. Then alit on a finial on the Cathedral roof.

Now, time for some hawk confusion.

Both Isolde and Tristan were in the air. Both disappeared over the hospital roof, but after running across the street, I got a glimpse of both perched a few feet apart on the roof. But then one took off again. But who? Well, I think that's Isolde still on the roof.

Yes, must be because after circling around, Tristan has flown down 113th St. to, oh no, the parking lot. But everything all right. My first glimpse of him down there is of him flying from ground up to tree branch, and when Bruce and I get closer we realize he has a mouse. That was a fast hunt.

Meanwhile, Isolde has flown back to the nest. She checks her babies over.

Tristan comes back to the nest with the mouse. Apparently "conversation" ensues, as he perches on the edge of the nest for a couple minutes. Then in anther moment of hawkwatching confusion, we seem to see Isolde dive out of the opposite side of the nest, then fly our way carrying something. Bruce suggests that Isolde is taking out the garbage. But then I follow up to 114th St. and find that instead Tristan is perched atop one of his favorite trees and is eating his dinner.

It's an adult-sized meal, so takes some time to consume.

But there are leftovers, which at 7:00 Tristan carries back to the nest so that the nestlings can have an evening snack. After which he flies down 113th St. again and perches about 30-40 feet above the parking lot. He's counting mice.

It's a subtle, quiet hunt, as he stays in place for 10-15 minutes. Bruce and I wander back in the direction of the nest. Not much happenin there. But then just before 7:20 Isolde hops back up and starts another feeding. It's a fairly fast one, just a bit more than five minutes.

I make my exit west at 7:30. Tristan is still perched in the same spot but looks pretty relaxed.