Secundus of the County Road M Red-tails, stands in an oak tree hard by the highway to the left. Fortunately the road has far less traffic than an urban counterpart would. And secondly, to his right stretches at least 120 acres whose only usual motored vehicle is a slowly moving tractor.
The sad news. This time from Raptor Watcher Bruce Yolton of www.urbanhawks.blogs.com/ --
The Henry Hudson Parkway traffic (this time a truck) claimed another fledgling today at Riverside Park today. This leaves only one out of the three fledglings still alive. I received word that the police assisted in stopping traffic and the remains were retrieved and given to someone in the Parks Department. I had been forwarded one of the eye witnesses' phone numbers and gave it to Captain Richard Simon of the Urban Park Rangers, so he could follow up.
The two fledglings had been on the same branch on a tree at the top of the stairs that leads to the underpass at 84th Street. One flew across the highway, above car height but did not fly high enough for the truck. It was then hit a few more times by other cars.
Tonight, the surviving fledgling was crying out at the southern end of the Esplanade at 84th. The parents responded with food, but the fledgling wasn't hungry. I think it was calling for its sibling.
Thank you Bruce for the detailed account.
Terribly sad news, particularly as this pair lost all three of their eyasses last season to possible poison. Riverside park is long and narrow with a prey base deep enough to reliably feed three eyasses. Unfortunately it's narrowness, bordered and transected by highways as it is, tends to put young hawks in nearly constant danger from traffic.
Donegal Browne
No comments:
Post a Comment