Again a Saturday checking on some red-tailed hawk nests in upper Manhattan.
Viewing the Gorman Park nest at 190th St. from over 300 yards away across the valley near the Fort Tryon subway stop, I could just barely see a hawk head poking up from the nest.
So it looks like the Gorman Park nest has joined the Washington Square Park nest as one of the first of the Manhattan nests to have a hawk mama brooding egg(s).
A half hour later over in Highbridge Park by Swindler Cove, the nest looked empty. Moments later a hawk landed in a treetop across Harlem River Drive in Swindler Cove Park. Initially I thought it was George, but as events would show, it was Martha.
Martha played scarum with a squirrel in the treetop for about five minutes, where the squirrel would try to sneak up below her and then she tried to pounce. But after they both tired of that, Martha flew across the road and landed in the nest tree. She looked around for a few minutes.
And then George flew in from somewhere to the northwest.
Oh, he's not planning to perch alongside her.
Hawk sex ensued.
The "tree shaker" lasted a bit longer than I am used to see this sort of thing take.
Finally it was over, and both hawks spent a few moments adjusting feathers.
And right about the time I decided I needed to leave, both hawks took off, flying east and across the Harlem River.
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