7/2, Squirrel Game

Sometimes the robins aren't so helpful at locating the hawk fledglings in Morningside Park. It's too bad the squirrels can't be a little louder when they see one.

Monday

6:10 p.m. - First glimpse of a hawk for the day comes while standing at the 111th St. overlook on Morningside Drive. There's a little bit of robin noise and then a hawk flies down the park path, about 20 feet below me, and somewhere into the trees at or close to the south end of the park.

6:15 - No sign of the hawk, and no robin noise.

6:20 - While standing near the south end of the park, turn around to see another hawk flying over the ballfields, west to east, and alighting on a chimney on a building at the corner of Manhattan Ave. and 112th St.

6:21 - Hawk leaves chimney and flies across 112th St. Lost to view behind trees and rooftops.

6:48 - Oh, gee, you have got to be kidding. Not only is there a hawk perched on the same branch on the tree down by the ballfield where one was seen last Friday and Saturday, but she's got a sibling perched one branch over.

Heavy belly-band on the one at left suggests that she is Brownie/Middle.

6:53 - Brownies seems content with her perch, but the other is restless. First she turns around to look the other direction.

6:56 - Then flies up to a tree on the rock face.

6:58 - But won't settle down just yet.

Wiggles a bit and then flies into the trees uphill and southwest.

7:00 - Then flies back near where Brownie is perched, turns back around and flies back uphill somewhere.

7:05 - But is easily found perched just 20-30 feet away from the 112th St. overlook along the street. Lovely pose, but so backlit.

Not quite sure, but I'd say the active fledgling has a moderate belly band and so is Eldest.

7:11 - She's staying put now, but doing a lot of looking around. Perhaps at mice below?

7:12 - Or perhaps at squirrels?

7:17 - Well certainly the squirrels have been looking at her. In fact, one has come by to check her out, crawling up the tree to her branch, then sneaking out toward her. A staring match ensues.

7:18 - Eldest makes her first lunge. No luck.

7:20 - Second lunge. So close.

And fly back to perch.

7:22 - Another lunge and Eldest ends up in another tree.

7:24 - But returns to the same perch. Glares at another squirrel.

7:26 - Another lunge. Now she's decided she's had enough and flies off to a tree over the rock face.

7:31 - Couldn't find Eldest's new perch. Thinking about leaving but note something largish is perched atop 300 West 110th. Not a hawk, but apparently a crow. Then a couple crows.

7:32 - Hawkwatcher Winkie then arrives and relates some recent sightings by her and her husband. Apparently the fledglings have been raoming about quite a bit, as they have seen them as far north in the park as 119th St. and also near the pond and water fountain.

Ooops, a hwak was just seen flying along the path beside the ballfields, north to south.

7:58 - No sign of a hawk alongside the ballfields. There's sound of an unhappy catbird somewhere, but the treetop foliage is getting darl. We note that the crows are perched on the antenna structure on 112th St., then Winkie observes that there's a hawk there too.

It's mama Isolde.

Strange situation. I've never seen isolde perched there before, although who would look at a rooftop edge when a more inviting antenna perch is there. The hawks don't seem to be harassing her overmuch. In fact, a couple flybys and they all take off and leave her alone.

8:02 - And then a fledfling flies over our heads and across the ballfields, from somewhere near the rockface and into a tree along Manhattan Ave. at 111th St.

8:03 - And another fledgling flies across the ballfield, from near the 112th St. overlook on Morningside Drive and into the same tree as the other.

8:04 - Second hawk was either Eldest or Runt as the belly band is not heavy.

8:06 - One of the two hawks flies out of the tree and across the ballfields toward the southwest entrance of the park.

8:07 - Unhappy with that perch, she takes off, does a circle around the ballfield and comes back to perch in a tree closer to the corner.

8:12 - Well, that perch was just okay. Try another tree a hundred feet east along 110th St. We have a decent view of her now, and it looks like Eldest.

8:15 - No, not that one either. Try another tree halfway down the block.

8:18 - She doesn't seem to have settled down, but it's time for me to leave anyway.