6/21, Solsticial Rooftop Dining

Very belated post.... Too many pix to examine and too much other stuff to do.

Thursday

6:31 p.m. - Two fledglings found perched next to each other on the corner of the eaves of the Cathedral School. One is staning up right on the corner and messing about with something a foot long, whilst the other is sitting in the gutter and watching.

It's tough to tell what the "plaything" is, and I debate whether it's a long strip of bark or a hawk or goose feather. Seems too long and straight to be a piece of leftover food.

6:41 - Maybe it was food. The first fledgling gave up, but now it looks like the second is trying to swallow something.

6:42 - And now they're looking around.

Is there a parent in the area?

6:44 - The kids were looking out a bit, and then there was quick screeching. Zip, papa Tristan appears and drops off food, then is gone in a second, probably afraid the kids would take a bite out of him.

Tristan flies to tree over sidewalk and almost overhead, looks relieved.

Kids dig in. Hard to see for sure, but one of them seems to have gotten the bigger piece and is mantling. But it's gristly and hard to get pieces off of.

6:45 - Tristan shifts to tree over the street.

6:46 - Messy eating continues.

6:47 - Dinner already over? Kids are looking around as if to see what else dad might have brought. But Tristan is gone.

Maybe someone dropped some food over the eaves?

7:00 - Kids have stayed put on school roof. Is the third one around somewhere?

7:02 - As I'm talking to Dottie on 113th St., mama Isolde flies up and perches on tall finial of St. Ansgar Chapel, then flies over to the tie-rod along the side of the transept arch.

7:03 - Isolde flies over to apse rooftop finial above statue of Saint Matthew.

7:10 - Checking on Morningside Drive, the two fledglings are still on the corner of the eaves, preening and loking around.

7:16 - Isolde still on finial.

7:20 - Isolde off finial.

7:23 - Ah-ha. Isolde merely dropped down to the eaves of the apse and is sitting about 30-40 feet from the finial.

7:30 - And belatedly I realize she may be looking across the street because Tristan is perched on the corner of the hospital roof.

7:32 - Isolde flies across street into tree below Tristan. Is the other fledgling in there? Well, maybe not, as she immediately flies off again, disappearing into trees over street near St. Savior chapel.

7:34 - Tristan stool on hospital roof, with house finch again expressing desire to engage in dialectic.

7:36 - Two fledglings still on school roof. One might be pecking about for leftovers.

7:40 - Parents around? Seems like someone was circling overhead, but is hanging out in treetops over the street rather than on architecture.

8:00 - Tried to check the view from Morningside Park's upper lawn. Too much foliage and too late in day to see anything. Kids also gone from school roof.

6/20, Two Hawks at School

Yet again, two Cathedral red-tail fledglings found, this time hanging out together for some time. But no sign of the third, or of the parents.

5:35 p.m. - No hawks visible from anywhere along 113th St.

5:39 - A fledgling spotted on corner of eaves of Cathedral School roof. A darkish belly band, but I'm not sure if this Brownie or Eldest. Almost certainly not Runt.

5:45 - Fledgling is sitting in sunny spot, and seems to be panting a little.

5:49 - Fledgling seems to be looking toward Cathedral but all I can see of interest is a starling on eaves of St. Martin's chapel.

5:55 - Still no sign of hawks up around 113th St.

6:01 - Fledgling on school roof has shifted position 8-10 feet and is no longer on corner. Looks over toward corner now and again, and it looks like there are flies circling about there.

6:02 - Another fledgling found atop St. Martin's chapel, same spot I think as where the starling was a little while ago.

6:03 - Looks back at her sister.

6:04 - Fledgling on chapel roof flies over a few feet and flops down in eaves gutter. Has she got some food tucked away there?

6:06 - Out of the gutter.

6:07 - I can't see school roof fledgling anymore. I confuse myself briefly by considering whether the two fledglings I've seen are the same one, but no, it was practically a smooth change of view from seeing one to spotting the other.

6:09 - Chapel fledgling back out to corner of roof. Looks like this might be Brownie.

6:13 - Chapel fledgling flies over to school roof... and lands next to sibling. Ah, first fledgling may have been hiding in a gutter herself and so wasn't visible for a minute or two.

First time I've seen two of the Divine siblings together since they left the nest. These two seem to be the same size and have moderate to heavy belly bands, so it's probably the two believed to have been born first (Eldest, aka Tailbiter) and second (Brownie). Not entirely sure which is which, but for the moment assume that the first one seen today is Eldest and the one who was on the chapel roof is Brownie.

But I wonder where the third, Runt, is at?

6:16 - Brownie muscles her way past Eldest toward gutter in corner of eaves, right where the flies where circling about before. Ah-ha, must be food up there because she's definitely pulling stuff of something.

6:19 - Small feathers flying about suggest that dinner is a bird.

6:26 - Ooh, gross. Brownie pulls a big chunk off.

6:35 - Brownie finally satiated, perches on corner of eaves and watches over Morningside Drive. Eldest still perched about 8-10 feet away.

6:42 - Brownie has sliced, and stretched out both wings a couple times, but stays put anyway.

6:43 - Eldest must be feeling peckish. She moves over to the remnants of whatever and starts working it over.

6:46 - Both fledglings still on roof of Cathedral School, Brownie on the corner edge and Eldest near-by in the gutter but looking around.

Exit. (And still no sign of a hawk along 113th St.)

6/19, Brownie Goes to School

Again, just two Cathedral red-tailed hawk fledglings spotted today. But one was found in a new spot.

5:23 p.m. - Arrive at cathedral. A fledgling is immediately spotted perched on side of transept buttress behind and above Baptistry.

5:28 - Around the corner and down Morningside Drive, another fledgling spotted perched on northeast corner of roof of Cathedral School. She's wtaching kids on the school playground.

5:37 - Stretttttch.

5:39 - Thought I saw something flying over the roof of the school.

5:40 - Papa Tristan appears and lands atop a tree across Morningside Drive and just inside the park.

5:41 - Robins have been complaining vociferously about Tristan, and one takes a couple shots at him.

5:44 - Tristan takes off and flies southeast. Last seen angling south and disappears behind 352 West 110.

5:46 - Fledgling atop school has shifted position a bit but is otherwise staying put. I think this is Brownie, the one with the heavy belly band.

5:49 - Other fledgling is still on transept buttress.

5:57 - Brownie looks happy to see me back to take more pictures.

6:10 - Fledgling is still on transept buttress.

6:15 - Brownie turned around so that it look like she's watching the traffic on Morningside Drive, but her eyes are closed like she's trying to take a nap.

6:25 - Fledgling has disappeared from buttress. Doctor entering parking lot points toward hospital roof, eave of section protruding from mansard. She's headed upward toward the crest.

6:35 - Haven't been able to spot fledgling from parkside path with better view of hospital roof. Time to leave.

6:36 - From down 113th St., fledgling's head is just visible on hospital roof.