If the red-tailed hawks at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine were operating on the "normal" schedule, the first egg would have been laid in the nest a few days ago. But despite checking on the nest area several times this past week, I have yet to see evidence that brooding is happening. No switch-offs between the adults on keeping eggs warm; not even a glimpse of the female's head or tail feathers poking up above the nest bowl.
Late Friday, there was at least some hawk activity to watch. On first arrival in the area, I found one of the hawks perched atop the cathedral on Gabriel's horn.
This looked like the male, Norman. With one of the new apartment structures blocking the view from his favorite chimney at St. Luke's hospital, it seems likely that we will see more of him perching on the horn this year.
Norman hung around on that perch for six or seven minutes, and then as hawks are wont to do, disappeared while I was checking camera settings. Ten minutes later I spotted a hawk circling very high over Manhattan Ave. on the east side of the park. It circled numerous times over a two-minute period, gradually drifting east and south towards, one guesses, Harlem Meer.
Five minutes after that, a hawk came swooping westward and plummeted towards the nest. It stayed just long enough for a few pictures.
And then out of the nest and around the cathedral. It didn't go far.
The hawk kept an eye on the south close for five minutes or so, and then again, quietly disappeared.
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