5/20, St. John the Divine

The babies in the red-tailed hawk nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are getting bigger fast. That's right — babies, plural. Two were clearly visible early Monday evening, and they are big enough that they can be seen from the corner of Morningside Drive and West 113th St. when they move around.

First view on sultry Monday showed mama sitting high and watching the sky. But there was a lump of fuzzy white next to her: a snoozing nestling. But over the next few minutes there were occasional glimpses of more fuzzy white to the right, and soon enough another baby hawk head popped up.

Mama kept watching the sky. Was papa late delivering dinner?

The second baby kept moving about, head popping up a few more times.

Finally sleepy-head at left raised its head to look around.

And mama kept watching the sky.

Views from a more distant vantage point that provides a better angle on the nest provided insufficient evidence whether there might be a third nestling.

5/17, St. John the Divine

A visit to the cathedral red-tailed hawk nest early Friday evening immediately found evidence that there must be a baby hawk or two in the nest. Streaks of whitewash were visible on the surrounding stonework that were not there a week ago.

The mother was visible in the nest when I first arrived but took off while I dodged traffic on Morningside Drive. I trotted back and forth between a couple vantage points that might give a view if anyone was in the nest, and a half hour later spotted something white and fuzzy moving about behind a sprig of greenery. And then a baby hawk head popped up.

The nestling was only visible for a minute or two before it returned to its nap. The mother was spotted again shortly later, flying south over Manhattan Valley. No sign of papa.

5/10, St. John the Divine

It continues to look as if the red-tailed hawk nest at St. John's has had a hatch. On a somewhat muggy evening, the female spent about 20 minutes preening but also fussing about in the nest. However, no indication she was feeding anyone. The male also put in an appearance, perching on a nearby finial for 5-10 minutes.

Given the height of the nest, it should be another week to a week and a half before nestlings are spotted.

5/7, St. John the Divine

Circumstantial evidence indicates that an egg or eggs have hatched at the red-tailed hawk at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The Urban Hawks blog reported on Saturday evening that the parents' behavior suggested so. A visit to the site early Tuesday evening found the female engaged in what looked to be the end of a feeding.

Unfortunately, the only looks I got of the female on Tuesday were of her feathery tail end wiggling around as she busied herself in the nest. The male, on the other hand, soared over the area at least four times while I was there, perching briefly atop the hospital twice and on Gabriel's horn once.

5/3, St. John the Divine

The red-tailed hawk nest at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has entered its hatch window, as first sign that the female might be brooding egg(s) came at the end of March. But three visits during this past week — Tuesday, Thursday and Friday — gave no suggestion that a hatch has yet occurred.

During two visits, the male was around, perching atop the cathedral roof on Gabriel's horn.

At the start of Thursday's visit was the only glimpse of the female moving about. Perhaps I caught her at the end of egg rolling. Otherwise, all that could be seen of her, provided you could find a vantage point, was her head just poking up.

Update on May 4: The Urban Hawks blog reported on Saturday that the St. John's hawks were behaving like there had been a hatch.