5/10, Tristan Feeds Again

Mostly text. I haven't had the energy to go through all my pix yet. I'll try to post them on Friday.

Thursday

5:38 p.m. - Arrive at nest area. No adult hawks visible, nor nestlings. Jean D. is already there and she hasn't seen anything in the past 40 minutes.

5:47 - While I'm checking the nest from the Morningside Drive side, an adult lands on Gabriel's horn. It's Isolde.

6:02 - Isolde flies off, but heads east and down over Morningside Park.

6:05 - As Jean and I stand at the 112th St. entrance to Morningside Park, a hawk comes swooping down from our right toward a group of 8-10 starlings on the upper lawn. Starlings erupt into the air and hawk continues on and upward, then pulls a U-turn and is seen flying back south.

But although we saw Isolde fly over here a couple minutes ago, is it her? The belly feathers look a little light, plus there's that missing right wing feather that Bruce and I thought we saw in late March.

6:12 - I'm down by the park pond, at the one spot where you can see the nest if you have a pair of binoculars. No hawks down here, and no activity up at the Cathedral.

6:22 - Back up at 113th St. Isolde pops up from behind the Cathedral, flies across the street and lands on what seems to be her favorite chimney at the hospital.

6:33 - Bruce Yolton also arrives.

6:42 - Hawk up? I've forgotten why, but at this point I'm up at the 114th St. entrance to the park looking for Tristan. Turning around, I find him circling overhead. He lands on a finial on the Cathedral roof.

6:47 - Tristan is now on Gabriel's horn.

6:53 - Tristan exits. Flies south and is last seen over 110th St., halfway to Manhattan Ave. Going hunting at the Great Hill?

7:00 - Isolde's still on the chimney.

7:03 - Isolde flies across the street to the nest, checks on the kid(s).

7:05 - Isolde further into the nest. Is that white spot on her right a nestling's head?

7:08 - Isolde flies back to the hospital chimney.

7:13 - Isolde disappears from chimney.

7:14 - A hawk flies into the nest, using the south entrance (i.e., over St. Andrew's right shoulder). I/we initially think this is Isolde, sneaking around the Cathedral to the nest, but we later realize it's Tristan.

7:15 - Tristan still at the nest. I can see a nestling head moving around through the twigs toward the right rear of the nest.

Isolde re-appears, perches on Gabriel's horn.

7:17 - Tristan gets busy feeding nestling(s).

7:23 - Tristan stops feeding for a moment. Hard to say, but I think I can just barely see nestling heads through the twigs on each side of him. Hmmm, well, maybe the fuzzy spot on the left is dinner's fur?

7:30 - Feeding's done. Tristan turns around and flies out of the nest.

7:31 - Tristan perches on one of the green pointy roofs at St. Luke's. Isolde is still across the street on Gabriel's horn.

7:36 - Tristan disappears from St. Luke's. Apparently he headed west along 113th St.

7:38 - A helpful cyclist shows Bruce where Tristan went. He's perched on the Cathedral wall, high up on one of the buttresses (about 40-50 west of the transept) and overlooking the northwest parking lot.

7:42 - Exeunt hawkwatchers. Tristan is still on the buttress and Isolde on Gabriel's horn.