The red-tailed hawk nestlings at Grant's Tomb are old enough that they are no longer snoozing away between meals, and are big enough that they can relatively easily be seen as they look around to see what's going on below. And now that they're easier to see, there might even be a surprise in store.
On Wednesday I found a spot behind the monument where I could see two of them. One was sitting on his rear end, the talons on his feet poking up above the edge of the nest. The other was lower but still visible.
Soon the one at left stood up, looked around a bit.
And then apparently walked around to the other side of the nest.
Or did it?
Nestling sitting at left. Nestling standing up at right. And is that hint of another right behind the post?
Oh most definitely.
So it turns out that Grant's Tomb nest has three baby hawks this year.
Earlier over at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, I found Madeleine fussing about her in nest.
Whether she was just rotating eggs, or even doing a feeding, I couldn't really tell. But if it was an egg rotation, she was in no hurry to plop back down on them. Of course, it was a very warm day, so no need.
In any event, she spent about ten minutes either preening or looking around.
And then she got back down in the nest.
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