2/20, Morningside Coopie

Cooper's hawks are often seen in Manhattan's parks at this time of year, wintering over for a few days to several weeks. The area around the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is no exception; I've probably seen Coopies there every winter since I started hawkwatching.

Late Sunday afternoon I'd wondered over to see if the cathedral red-tails were getting ready for the new nesting season. Almost immediately I bumped into one of the neighborhood dog-walkers who reported seeing the red-tails working on their nest, and then pointed out a hawk perched in a tree in Morningside Park across the street from the cathedral.

Hmmm, long tail feathers and a streaky breast. Looks like one of our winter visitors. Full crop and fluffed up for the cold, too.

The Coopie stayed in that tree for 10 or 15 minutes, but as sunset got closer, it began flitting about the tree tops looking for a roost. Several times it perched much closer to the ground.

And as sunset came, it returned to one of its earlier perches, a thick cluster of twigs and branches that would be difficult for a night-time attacker to get through. The spot was only 15 feet above a park path, but so obscured that you'd only notice the Coopie hiding in there if you'd seen him fly in.

11/14, Morningside Hawk Walking

Loads of raptor activity over Morningside Heights and adjacent SW Harlem on Sunday around 11:30. Juvenile red-tails and a least one Cooper's were migrating through the area, and the resident red-tails were doing a "see and be seen" to let the youngsters know that the area was already claimed. Norman was perched on the chimney at St. Luke's, Isolde was buzzing around, and the male RT from CCNY was perched on a favorite water tower in the General Grant Houses.

At noon, the adults were out of sight, but not long after we found Norman perched atop the East Campus Dorm at Columbia.

At least one kestrel and likely two were up there buzzing him.

Ten minutes later Norman decided it was time to move on.

He circled around over West 116th St. several times, and so did the kestrel.

Norman departed to the south, but the kestrel stayed in the area.

The kestrel's mate was also flitting about 116th St.

Another ten minutes later a juvie red-tail appeared, perhaps one of the kids we'd seen over the area earlier.

He too circled around over 116th a few times.

And barely had the juvie RT disappeared behind a rooftop when a Cooper's hawk appeared over Amsterdam Ave.

Things quieted down then, although glimpses were to be had of the kestrels amidst the rooftops by the CU law school.

Some time later over at Riverside Church, we found one of the peregrines lurking quietly atop the radio antenna at the very top of the church. And then hiding down in Riverside Park near the tennis courts was a juvie red-tail.

Perhaps he was watching for rodents in the wildflower meadow by the highway, although his crop looked a bit full.

But apparently he wasn't thrilled to have an audience.

Within minutes he took off to the south. Another thirty minutes of casting about, the only raptor to be seen was the peregrine atop the church.

10/30, Isolde on Fifth Avenue

During the half hour before sunset on Saturday, Isolde was over to the southeast corner of her territory, perched atop the Cardinal Cooke Health Center and watching the skies to the south. Her crop was huge, so she had recently fed.

Right at sunset, she took off and flew northwest, soaring over the Harlem Meer and headed to somewhere close to the cathedral where she could roost for the night.