Sunday evening, after the rain had stopped, found all three of the cathedral red-tail family out drying and preening their feathers. The fledgling had made it all the way to the top of the cathedral and was perched on Gabriel's head. Mom and Dad were several hundred yards away atop the Towers on the Park.
I arrived at the cathedral just before 7:00 Friday evening to find all three members of the red-tail family hanging about near each other on the ledges and crenellations above the Baptistry. Dinner had just been served. The fledgling had a full crop and another hawkwatcher indicated that mama Isolde was just polishing off her own meal. Then the fledge worked over the carcass for a few more bits.
But very quickly there was some action. Both parents took to the air and made some attacks on the pigeons atop the hospital across the street. Mama Isolde then came back to the cathedral for a bit, first perching on a crenellation.
Then flew over the Baptistry...
To the ledge atop the transept buttress where the fledgling was still hanging about.
Then she headed back over to the hospital. The fledge watched her closely.
Then he shifted about the top of the buttress ledge, which is large enough that it might be worth a short flight to get from one side to the other.
Then he flew over to a small ledge between the Baptistry and Ansgar chapel.
Isolde was still doing something atop the hospital roof. We tried to figure out what she was up to, and ended up losing track of both her and the fledgling, who snuck off for parts unknown.
Twenty minute slater, I was about to call it an evening and was headed for the sandwich shop when another hawkwatcher called for my attention. She had spotted Isolde perched above the West Front of the cathedral.
Catching some sunset rays.
And she'd also spotted the fledgling back over at the hospital, perched on the roof of the Travers Pavilion, on the 114th St. side of the building.
Isolde stayed where she was until just before 8:00 before taking off again. She headed northwest across 113th St. with a kestrel closely following.
Survivor spent most of Tuesday evening on the roof of St. Luke's hospital, near the emergency room entrance. There was some hopping about but also a lot of preening.
Mama Isolde was watching over the scene, apparently dealing with the neighborhood kestrels. She soon took off but returned perhaps 15 minutes later. She and the fledgling ended up perched about 20-30 feet apart and facing each other. They stayed in those spots for quite some time.
Eventually the fledgling got active again, making his way back up to the very top of the roof.
But it was getting late and not long after, he flew across the street to the nave of the cathedral. After hopping about just a bit more, he landed on one of the tallest fanciest finials.
And there he stayed.
