5/13, Riverside at 102

The baby red-tailed hawks at the Riverside Drive are now big enough to be seen during feeding. Two were visible Monday afternoon about 4:15.

First view of the nest on Monday showed the mama hawk perched on the bare branch that sticks out to the side of the nest. Just chilling and preening and maybe watching passers by on the park walkway below. Also the cars making the loud and almost constant drone below.

Then she popped up and flew a tight loop and landed on the nest just as papa arrived with food.

After which he took off and mama started feeding the nestlings. At first she was toward the right side of the nest and one could just see the top of the fuzzy head of one nestling to her left as it was getting fed. Then one could see a bit more of it, including a few beak-to-beak transfers of morsels.

But then mama switched to the left side of the nest and quickly enough two baby hawk heads became very visible.

If there's a third baby hawk up there, then it's likely the youngest, not big enough yet to be seen or to muscle its way in for a bite. Hard to say at this point, but it should be easier to decide in a few days.

5/9, Riverside at 102

I arrived to view the 102nd St. red-tailed hawk nest at 3:20 and found a feeding in progress. The papa hawk arrived just seconds after I did.

He hung about for about a minute and a half, half of it leaning over the nest bowl alongside the female and half of it perched down to the side.

And then he departed, leaving all the work to mama. And work she did, a good 15 minutes of activity or more. From her changing position she was plainly feeding at least two babies, and three would not be a surprise.

5/6, Riverside at 102

Although I have yet to witness a feeding, the behavior of the female red-tailed hawk at the nest along Riverside Drive is utterly convincing that there's been a hatch and that she has at least two baby hawks to tend to. Monday afternoon around 3:30 it looked like the nest was empty, but then momma flew off a nearby branch hidden by leaves and across the street, perched a moment, then took again into lower Riverside Park. She returned after five minutes and perched on the side of the nest.

She remained in that spot the next 10-15 minutes that I was there. Although she leaned into the nest a few times and maybe moved something around, it was casual. But what she did do that was suggestive was that she kept looking from one side of the nest to another, and maybe also in between, thus suggesting she was watching two or possibly three babies snoozing in the nice but slightly muggy weather.

Hopefully the vantage point I found will remain clear and so maybe a baby hawk will become visible within a few days. As foliage gets thicker and branches shift about, sightline are opening and closing.