A quick walk along the Riverside Park wall on Friday afternoon found one of the new Morningside hawks perched in a tree at about 105th St., a half mile south of the new nest. Although the hawk was doing a lot of looking around, it appears that its crop was full. It was simply checking out the area and taking mental notes while digesting a meal, and not inclined to go anywhere soon.
Late afternoon on a very cold Valentine's Day offered a couple fast looks at the new Morningside Heights red-tailed hawks as they buzzed around Riverside Park. The only times I saw one or both perch, it lasted less than a half minute before they were back in motion. Last sighting had both headed down toward the highway around 113th St.
Two or three reports in the past month suggested that a pair of adult red-tailed hawks might be trying to claim the western edge of Morningside Heights, over along Riverside Park. On Tuesday I spotted a red-tail gone to roost in the park at 112th St., but the light was too poor to see if it was adult or youngster. Then early today (Wednesday) I received a report of four hawks circling over Riverside around 112th. Possibly the cathedral hawks had flown over to have a discussion about territorial rights.
Late this afternoon I made a couple sightings of two hawks along Riverside in the Morningside neighborhood. First was a brief look at two hawks at Riverside and 110th, both arriving from the east, apparently paying little attention to each other, and then splitting off in opposite directions.
A bit later and a bit north, a pair of red-tails again popped out of the adjoining neighborhood, circled over Riverside for a moment, and then alit on apartment buildings. One landed on the Coliseum on the southeast corner of Riverside and 116th.
While the other alit atop the Paterno on the northeast corner.
And then moments later, off again.
Comments from a neighborhood hawkwatcher who was seen the duo a few times indicate that they are working on a nest inside Riverside Park. One wonders if this is last year's Grant's Tomb pair, trying again a little bit farther away from the nasty falcons at Riverside Church, or if a totally new pair is giving the neighborhood a try.
