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.
I saw the two hawks at the nest this afternoon. It looks like an old squirrel nest, just north of 116th Street, best seen from the upper path or the sidewalk above the wall. The female was sitting in the nest, then flew off a bit north, a few feet from the tree where the male was perched. The female grabbed a twig and brought it back to the nest and sat there. This is pretty far from the falcons and about 200 feet lower than their nest, so with any luck they won't be bothered this time.
ReplyDeleteBy my estimate using Google Earth, it's about twice the distance from the church tower as was the Grant's Tomb nest.
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