6/26, A Fledgling on Its Own

E-mail from hawk rehabber Bobby Horvath has confirmed that the injured female red-tailed hawk fledgling was found on West 114th St. near Morningside Ave., just east of Morningside Park. The fledgling has lead poisoning, and a right foot problem which might be the result of the poisoning or of some trauma. The location seems to make it pretty sure that she is one of the fledges from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. If not then she's a long way from her home nest. Although I have heard one report of both cathedral fledglings being seen Tuesday evening, it's not backed up by a second observer or any photography.

I headed over to the cathedral late Thursday afternoon to see if either fledgling was about. It seemed pretty quiet, but at 5:45 I found Lincoln on Morningside Drive across from the Cathedral School watching a fledgling in a Morningside Park tree. The fledgling was quiet, and so were the birds near-by. I suspect that I wouldn't have found it on my own.

It stayed there until I had to leave at 6:30.

There was a fair amount of sparrow twittering just up Morningside Drive from the fledgling, but in the 45 minutes I couldn't spot any other hawks in the area.

Later in the evening, the fledgling apparently made its way across Morningside Park and perched for a bit on the lower roof of the Towers on the Park at 301 West 110th St. From there it flew into Central Park and went to roost for the night.

6/25, Quiet

With family in town, it's been tough getting over to the cathedral to check on the hawks. Apparently I missed a bunch of peregrine v. hawk action.

Wednesday evening I was there from before 7:00 until just past 8:00. Checked all around, with help from Susan, but no sign of either the fledglings or the parents.

Unfortunately, word comes on Thursday morning that an injured female red-tailed hawk fledgling was rescued on 114th St. on Tuesday morning and taken to the Animal Medical Center. Although the rescue location wasn't clear, it was apparently within a couple blocks of the cathedral, possibly near Morningside Ave.

The word is that the fledge is suffering from lead poisoning and a lame foot. Another hawkwatcher has said he's seen the two fledglings playing with construction material on the cathedral roof, so one might have consumed some lead there.

6/27, Solstice Hawks

Friday hawkwatching began around 6:30 with a trip back into the close at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Good choice, as I immediately found an adult hawk in the midst of dinner above the statue of St. Bartholomew.

Based on the eyes, I'd say it is papa Norman.

He finished up a couple minutes later and dropped the remainder of the meal over the edge. A second later I heard it go bang! on the aluminum catwalk on the chapel roof below. He wiped his beak.

And looked around for a minute or two. Actually, even while eating he had occasionally looked to the northeast, around the corner of the cathedral. Make a note of that.

Then he turned around.

And flew about 250 feet west, where he perched on the eastmost buttress of the nave.

Birds in the garden below immediately started twittering about the intruder, and two blue jays quickly flew up to greet him.

They tried some double-team dive-bombing...

But Norman was staying put.

Hmm, now why is that? Is there some particular reason Norman should be hanging around back here and taking abuse?

Silly me. I didn't think to ask that question. Instead, I exited the close and walked around to Morningside Drive to see if any of the other hawkwatchers were around. I found Lincoln and Susan keeping an eye on a fledgling perched on the scaffolding above St. Savior Chapel. This would explain why Norman was looking this way.

Apparently both parents had been there about 20-30 minutes earlier, when a food delivery was made.

A few minutes later, Lincoln spotted the other fledgling, perched atop the chimney on the south side of the transept.

D'oh! Norman flew right by that spot while I was watching, and his perch on the nave is less than 100 feet away.

Lincoln and I hied our way back around to the close. Sunset light was beginning to come on.

Unfortunately, the cathedral is now paying more attention to shooing visitors out the close at closing time, so the only half decent spot where we could watch the fledgling was out on the sidewalk along Amsterdam Ave.

After 20 minutes of that, I went back to Morningside Drive to check on the other fledgling. Still there. It did some hawk yoga.

And stayed put.

Back to Amsterdam. Norman still in the same spot. Can't quite see the fledgling.

Time to leave, but first take some pix of the West Front of the cathedral. Turns out it's less than 10 minutes to the moment of summer solstice.

And from down 112th St.