Monday, May 03, 2010

Red-tail Update-The Invisible Become Visible


When I first arrived at the Cathedral nest on Saturday, it didn't look as if either of the adults was in residence. But there certainly were some new twigs in residence. I was scrutinizing those when--I saw something move in a significant way. Okay, sometimes in these situations, i.e., searching as hard as you can for the first concrete look at eyasses, your eyes can play tricks on you, but I was pretty sure that little white patch in the far right corner moved. It was my first inkling that today might be the day when we got our first look.


Here's a zoom. It looked to me that that just might be an eyass.

Ah, there she is, Isolde is the new twig culprit. Why in particular should today bring on a variety of new woody flora? I now think that perhaps as the eyasses were now able to peer through the porous top of the nest that perhaps Isolde decided it was time for a few more twigs on the top edge to break up the youngsters shapes as they popped up and down. Which they would do, not necessarily today, but someday soon.
Large, the eldest eyass is momentarily up off her haunches seemingly making her tower over Medium, the second hatched eyass.
Stormin' Norman, Large, and Medium stare at their audience.
It appears that Large is back there doing something quite watchable.
Medium still watching Large behind Andrew's head. Large, being slightly older is more mobile than the other two eyasses. Though from the look in her eye, Medium is going to give Large a run for her money.

And Small safe in the back corner. When there is a third eyass on this nest, I've observed that Isolde somehow tends to keep the youngest eyass in that spot until she is better able to fend for herself in regards to the two earlier hatched siblings.
From our man in NYC, with his eye on the NYTimes, Bill Walters--

OPINION May 02, 2010
By FRANCIS X. CLINES

Watching the nesting season of red-tailed hawks with Jeffrey Kollbrunner, one of New York City's most dedicated trackers of raptors.
Donegal Browne

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