Saturday, June 07, 2014

Follow Up to Stella's Pale Male Dinner to Fledge

Follow up to previous update from Stella Hamilton

6:53 PM EST

Pale Male and Fledge2 meet on top of London Plane.  Rat falls to foot of tree and Fledge 2 follows it.  Fledge 2 now eating rat on ground.

(Just as Pale Male planned. DB)

Scroll down for previous updates and sometimes to the next page.

As it happens Pale Male and Family

6:33PM EST Just in from Stella Hamilton--

Pale Male caught a rat and brought it to the same London Plane Tree (near Alice in Wonderland Statue) where Fledge 2 roosted last night.  Fledgling and Pale Male calling to each other for dinner.  Pale Male is trying to make Fledge 2  come down to the ground to eat the rat.  Pale Male isn't going to bring it up.  

Another survival lesson.

(My supposition is that since rats are caught on the ground Pale Male is bringing that hunting relationship to the fore for the Fledge 2. DB.)

2nd update of the day.  Scroll down for previous.

Pale Male, Octavia, Two Fledglings and an Eyass, As it Happens


Samantha Browne-Walters is the current observer.

3:02PM EST   Pale Male circles above the Model Boat Pond three times.  The eyass on the nest pops up looks, stretches, spreads wings, then settles back down.  According to Sam is not terribly tempted by Pale Male's ploy to get him to fledge.


Pale Male Updates As They Happen Schedule for Saturday June 7, 2014



 Photograph courtesy of www.palemale.com/
SCHEDULE CHANGE DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
Updates for Pale Male, Octavia, the two fledglings, and the remaining eyass on the nest will begin when tech problems reconciled, later today.  Apologies!
 
And if all goes well with the technology, they will include documentation photographs.  If the tech doesn't go well, photos will be posted later in the day.

Scroll down for today's offerings.

Happy Hawking!
D.B.

Friday, June 06, 2014

FLASH!!! PALE MALE UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN (These were posted as they came in, if you are beginning scroll down to the end, the actual beginning 7:08PM and read up)

9:03PM EST,

Nearly all the hawkwatchers have gone home.  wending their way on buses, subways, and even cabs for those who are running late for a friday dinner, to apartments all over the city.

Octavia will have finished helping the remaining eyass on the nest with her dinner.  Dozing, the eyass slumps.  Octavia will preen and compose herself for sleep.  But her eyes will open every few minutes in the night and survey her surroundings.  

The eyass may be restless sporadically in  the night, new pin feathers poking her skin.  If so Octavia will preen her until she rests quietly again.  Then back to momentary sleeping and waking.  Only half of Octavia's brain will sleep at a time, the other will be aware and ready.

The Oriole who has been going through the motions of attacking Fledge 2 will have gone to his own rest by now after checking in with his family.

The Central Park Raccoons will be coming out of their sleeping places to peruse any possible eatable goodies that have been left behind.  Perhaps the prize of a forgotten bag of cotton candy still wrapped in plastic which will be laboriously pulled up a tree with the climb to privacy and enjoyed at leisure. 

Pale Male will have chosen a spot to roost where he can see both fledglings in their trees and Octavia and the eyass on the nest.  From the sounds of the fledglings locations he could well pick an old favorite, a tall  London Plane with a branch directly above his head to protect him from Great Horned Owl attack in the night only a stones throw from the Hawk Bench.

 He will not fall immediately asleep. He will carefully preen every feather just so.  He must be ready for anything day or night.

The night breeze will come up.  The moon will shine on the Model Boat Pond as it has for a hundred and more years.  Perhaps  there are one or two watchers who have decided to keep a vigil on the Hawk Bench, though I hear that that is very  rare these days.  In fact the Bench in daytime is often empty with no Rick to mark it's identity.

The lights of Fifth Avenue are there to the East, sifting through the trees, as is the commotion of the cabs and buses on Fifth Avenue.  Close, but far away in the dark of Central Park.  The small night creatures rustle in the flower beds and the little wind sighs in the leaves.

And perhaps the spirits of former watchers meet on the bench for yet another vigil through the night to keep Pale Male's vigil company.  Just perhaps.  So many who have come and gone...drifting into the night forever. 

And still Pale Male remains.  

With a last long look around him, he will settle himself into yet another sleep, protecting his family, ears aware, his eyes close.  Ready to open and he'll fly out yet again at a moments need.

Good night Pale Male.  Sleep well.



SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS UPDATES OF TODAY

FLASH!!! 8:30 PM PALE MALE FLEDGLING UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN!

8:30 PM  PALE MALE DELIVERS PREY TO NEST.  HE LEAVES TO KEEP CLOSER EYE ON TWO FLEDGLINGS PERCHED WITHIN SIGHT LINES OF NEST.  

OCTAVIA ARRIVES ON NEST TO HELP THIRD EYASS WITH DINNER. 

 PREY CURRENTLY UNKNOWN.  

NIGHT  IS FALLING.

MOST WATCHERS HEAD FOR THEIR HOMES.


SCROLL DOWN FOR PREVIOUS UPDATES OF TODAY

Flash! 8:10PM EST PALE MALE EYASS UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN!

8:10PM  ORIOLE BEGINS DIVING AT FLEDGLING 2 IN LONDON PLANE NEAR ALICE STATUE!

Scroll down for previous updates

Flash!!!! 7:52PM Octavia Appears, PALE MALE EYASS UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN!!!

7:52 PM Fledgling in London Plane near Alice Statue west of Model Boat Pond, Octavia flies over London Plane where fledgling 2 is perched.  Fledgling jumps to next branch perhaps to try following Mom.  Fledgling is now begging loudly!

Scroll down for previous updates.

PALE MALE EYASS UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN!!!!!!!! 7:30PM 2ND EYASS SPOTTED!!!!

7:30PM
The Group has strengthened.  Stella, Carlos, Margrit, and Eleanor have found the second Fifth Avenue fledgling in a London Plane just east of the Alice in Wonderland statue.  The statue is just west of the Model Boat Pond.

2nd fledgling is also sitting quietly.

The fledglings haven't ventured very far from the nest as yet.  

To see videos of  the eyasses that Carlos has made go to youtube, Atawualpa1, or search Central Park baby hawks.

Scroll down for more news.

FLASH!!! FIFTH AVENUE PALE MALE EYASS UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN 7:08 PM!!!

Friday 6/6/2014 7:08PM  
 Just in from long time hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton!  

Stella reports that one of Pale Male and Octavia's fledglings is high in a Pin Oak on Fifth Avenue.  One foot tucked, she's quiet, taking her ease.  

Fledgling life may be more exciting but it is certainly more tiring than hanging out on the nest.

FLASH!!!! STELLA HAMILTON REPORTS ON PALE MALE AND COMPANY!!!

 Photo courtesy of Stella Hamilton

Hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton has been watching Pale Male and his mates for many many years.  Stella is often the first to welcome new hawkwatchers to The Bench and has been a stalwart observer every season.

Dear D , 
This rainbow appeared after the storm on Tuesday , 6/ 3 around 7:45 pm . It was beautiful ! To me it was a sign to go, baby , go ! And they did the next day . 

Even a portion of a rainbow in Manhattan is an extremely rare event and a full rainbow over Fifth Avenue is something very special all together.

 Hi Donna, 

 Yes ,  2 babies fledged on Wednesday, 6/4. 

No one seems to know what time the first baby fledged . 

I got to Pilgrim Hill around 7:30 pm. One baby was up on an oak tree close to the corner of 5th Avenue and 72nd street, very difficult to see, while the other sib was on another oak tree , even more difficult to find. 

So, I did not see much that evening . Yesterday, [6/5] while hanging out at Hawkbench , one baby flew over model boat pond , circled around the trees along 5th Avenue , then landed on a window ledge on the "ship building"on the 8th or 9th floor,  second building north of the Woody building . 

For new watchers of  Pale Male, the center building directly under the arch of the rainbow is 927 Fifth Avenue where Pale Male and Octavia's nest is located.  It is on the cornice of the middle window of the top floor.

The next building to the left, north, is the Woody Allen Building, (Woody had an apartment there when Pale Male first nested on 927) and the NEXT building after Woody to the north is the Ship Building.  Named for its shape.

Now back to Stella. 

Remember last year , a baby landed on a hedge on their terrace?  

Indeed I do!

Second baby was seen on 76th street yesterday evening, around 8pm, Pale Male dropped off a rat to 3rd baby who is still on nest . Octavia flew in seconds later to assist baby with dinner . I now have to go to work. Will call after my visit to the park . 
Stella  

MORE TO COME SO STAY TUNED!!! 
Scroll down for the latest Thompkins Square Park Update from Francois Portmann! Happy Hawking!
D.B. 
P.S. I've asked my daughter Samantha, who is back from her studies at Brandeis and working at Dr. Pepperberg's Parrot Lab at Harvard, to grab her camera and try to track down the Fifth Avenue fledglings when she has a chance.  We'll see if she gets anything.  Fingers crossed!

Thompkins Square Park Update!

Photo by Francois Portmann  http://www.fotoportmann.com/birds

Suddenly, as hopping and flapping has now begun,  this nest has begun to look remarkably small to hold everyone.

This is the second post of the day, so scroll down for fledging news!

D.B.

Fledges, Fledges, Fledges! Plus the 30 Year Old Red-tail Lives On at the Raptor Trust!

Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk  http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Rob Schmunk, long time watcher of the Isolde and Norman at the Cathedral at St. John the Divine nest overlooking Morningside Park, reports the second hatched eyass has fledgedFor more go to http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Hawkwatcher Anthony Timens sent a FLASH on the run in Central Park  that  there has been a fledge from Pale Male and Octavia's nest on 927 Fifth Avenue!

And Bon Bon reports two fledges at Washington Square!

Photo courtesy of NYTimes
Remember the banded 27 year old Red-tailed Hawk that was 
Picked up on a rural road and ended up being rehabbed at 
The Raptor Trust?  Betty Jo of California wrote The Trust
and inquired how she was doing.  
 
 Donna,
 I thought you'd like to see this.  Isn't this great--that old lady is still alive and is benefiting young Red-tails.  We can sure thank the person who picked her up off the road.

And it is wonderful news.  This Red-tailed Grande Dame is still kicking and helping Red-tailed Hawk orphans. 

 Here's the news from The Raptor Trust. 


Hello Betty Jo,
 Thanks for asking about the 27 year old female 
redtail. She is now  30 (!) and doing well.   
She just didn't have the stamina for life 
in the wild. So she was not releasable after rehab.
So she stayed with us and is just fine . 
She even has a purpose in life.  

She fosters and "big sisters" the orphaned red tails
that we get each summer, teaching them red tail 
language and how to catch mice.
They seem to adore her, sitting near to her all the time,  when they're not practicing flying in the large flight chamber.
  I agree that the fact that Pale Male 
is still alive is a miracle.  
I cross my fingers every time I think of him
  Best regards,
Diane Soucy The Raptor Trust
 

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Rainbows, Red-wings, Caterpillers, and Tree Frogs. Sometimes It Is The Little Things...

First off a rainbow for everyone and particularly for long time contributor Jackie of Oklahoma who is seriously ill in the hospital.

Do you remember the mnemonic device commonly taught in school to retain the sequence of hues commonly said to make up a rainbow?

Roy G. Biv...  Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

I never forgot that one either.

Well, I'd been sitting in a Culver's after a meeting, looked out the window and there was the rainbow.  So of course I leapt out of my seat, grabbed the camera, and went running out into a meadow chasing it for the best angle.

And just as I got to the best spot, something came plummeting into the big bush beside me.

Geez!


It's a male Red-wing and he's only a few feet away from me.

CRASH!!  There is a spray of foliage.


                                      It is Kamikaze Junior. 
Where did Dad go?
He's got to be here somewhere...
There's DAD!  Junior 1 dives into the foliage.
Junior 2 arrives, out of focus, down left.
Then nobody is visible.
Junior 1 pops up at the top.  Where did Dad go?
Then everybody is visible.  Dad sees something.
Dad turns and looks and everyone sees something.

And then...they're gone.

Last night, I heard Squirrel the cat make a tremendous yowl and start scratching at something in the kitchen.
Squirrel was attempting to make a tree frog leave the screen.  I couldn't get a good picture of him last night
But tonight...
Tree Frog had stuck herself to a window without a screen.  Just waiting for something to be attracted to the light. 
Then BING!  Her eyes went wide to let in more light...she was on the hunt.  I left her to it.
Then earlier today there was the minty green caterpillar with the lemon yellow stripes and spots .
This is a prairie sky.  

See those rays of light rising up from the earth into the vortex of light?  

Out here, if you ask your Great Aunt Lenora what that is, she'll tell you it is all the souls going to heaven.

Donegal Browne