Stella Hamilton Reports-- the Last Eyass Flew the Coop on 927 Plus What the Family Was Doing This Evening! (Second Post of the Day)

Photo by Samantha Browne-Walters

JUST IN FROM STELLA--
I learned this afternoon that the 3rd baby had fledged off 927 Fifthe Avenue. Again, no witnesses . It has been raining on and off this afternoon. I arrived in Central Park around 6:30 pm to find the baby hawks perched on tree tops around Alice in Wonderland statue. Pale Male has been very busy trying to hunt around the 76th street playground for his trio. 

At times, bluejays would dive bomb him on the head . Anyway, it got dark really fast. Looks like more rain is on the way. I did not see Pale Male with prey . 

 Octavia was heard calling somewhere along the Glade Arch . 

That's my report for now . Will visit again tomorrow. 
Stella

(Keep scrolling down to read the first post of the day.)

DB

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!

Stella Hamilton Reports on Pale Male's Nest and the Sheep Meadow Red-tailed Hawk Nest With Hints on How To Get There!

Photo courtesy of www.palemale.com/
                  Octavia is left and Pale Male is right.

 An on the spot report,  from longtime hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton-- Stella was also, let me add,  a stalwart protester back in 2004 during the days before Pale Male and Lola were allowed to rebuild their nest on 927 Fifth Avenue.

It's Thursday , 4/24 /14 , 4:30 pm . Windy but gorgeous day . Pale Male is soaring , while Octavia stands in the middle of the nest . I feel she wants to stretch a bit . Did not bring Stellascope today, so can't see if babies are walking about yet . Lots of meat pulling and feeding observed mid nest today.  It was to the left and right of nest  last Sunday .

P.S. I also spoke to Stella on the phone.  She thinks from the feeding patterns she's observed, that the Fifth Avenue nest may hold three eyasses this year.

After checking out Pale Male and Octavia's nest, Stella then took the short walk down to the Sheep Meadow Red-tailed Hawk nest.

Photo by Stella Hamilton  4:50PM  4/24/2014

See the nest in the crouch of the tree?  Stella reports that the nest is about 30 feet from the ground and the current hawk in residence is Mom.  While Stella was watching Dad arrived with dinner for Mom, prey not immediately recognizable, and they switched.  Mom flew off to eat and Dad kept the nest warm.

For those who would rather find the Sheep Meadow nest without asking around too much, here is Stella  Hamilton's clarification to the usual directions.  Often if one asks where this nest is, one is told...near the volley ball court.  

Well... as it turns out there are two volley ball courts.

There is a concrete court and a sand volley ball court.  The nest is near the concrete court which is painted green and has no net across it so some don't even realize it is a volley ball court-- which adds to the general confusion.  If there are no obvious hawkwatchers gawking up a tree,  Stella advises sitting in one of the benches at this court, then scanning  the trees,  and you will spot the nest.

Happy Hawking!

Donegal Browne

Pale Male's Nest and the Red-tailed Hawk Nest in Central Park's Sheep Meadow--Offspring Are Allowed to Nest in Closer Proximity

Photo courtesy of  palemale.com/

This is one of a pair of Red-tailed Hawks that has built a nest in a tree by Central Park's Sheep Meadow.  

The most prevalent common thought about this pair is that they are the hawks  who previously attempted to nest in the neighborhood of Central Park South, which is the street that borders the southern end of Central Park

Which brings up two questions a number of people who have contacted me have asked:

Where is Sheep Meadow? 

And how far is Sheep Meadow from Pale Male's Nest?

Time for a map of Central Park...

Starting at the bottom left (West)  of the park, cruise up (North) and hit the 65th St Transverse Rd.  Just above where those words are written on the map you'll see Sheep Meadow notated.  

(Tidbit 1: Sheep Meadow originally included a flock of sheep and a shepherd from 1884 to 1934.  During that time they were housed in a Victorian folly which in 1934 was turned into Tavern on the Green.)



Photograph courtesy of The Central Park Conservancy
 Sheep Meadow, between 66th and 69th Streets, is open from mid-April through Mid-November.  

Very soon the nesting hawks will have more company than they currently do. And the fact that during the summer, Sheep Meadow can be far more crowded than the above photograph reflects has some hawkwatchers concerned. 

Though as Sheep Meadow pair are obviously urban hawks or they wouldn't be there in the first place and the newest research has found that young hawks have a tendency to return to their natal territory to nest, one at least of the Sheep Meadow Red-tails could well be progeny of Pale Male and Lola or as the southern territory was altogether open,  Pale Male Jr. and Charlotte.  

(Though if Jr. was Pale Male's son as suspected, still related.)

By the way, I never saw Pale Male and Lola have very hostile interactions with Pale Male Jr. and Charlotte, which may be a clue to a relationship.

And as Pale Male and Octavia are allowing the new pair to nest so closely to the Fifth Avenue nest it may be a clue to a relationship there as well.

Some years ago before the research came out about the tolerance of offspring coming back to natal territory at breeding age to nest, one day during nesting season with eyasses on the nest, Pale Male and Lola were both on the nest when a third Red-tail landed on the roof of 927 Fifth Avenue just above them  and  looked down at everyone. (This was not a menacing posture at all.)  Pale Male was up there like a shot, but instead of screaming at the "interloper" and  knocking  him off the roof  for trespassing all Pale did was land on the roof about a foot from him and make an angry body posture.  The hawk stranger took on an OH, SORRY, kind of   look and zipped off.   Neither Pale Male or Lola screamed or chased him with blood lust in their eyes which is what happens if a stranger hawk even crosses the far borders of the territory ordinarily in natal season. 

After Pale's trip up to the roof, I can remember long time hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton and I just looking at each other with that kind of,  WOW, what just happened kind of look on our faces.   At the time, we talked about the fact that the intruder hawk acted like he just wanted to look at the nest.  No hostile body position, more like when Pale Male looks down from a tree at a person he knows and likes.  The only thing we could come up with that might explain the behavior, far fetched as it seemed, was that the third hawk may have fledged from that nest.  

Which some, no doubt, would have scolded us for anthropomorphizing, at the time.  As it turns out perhaps we weren't necessarily all that far wrong. 

If you happen to be in Sheep Meadow and want to see this nest, as tree nests are somewhat more vulnerable than building nests, and "which tree" is harder to explain than a building address,  a tree nest's  general location only, tends to be published,  look for someone with binoculars and they will very likely be able to direct you to the correct tree.

 Now onward Ladies and Gentlemen, move right (East) and up (North) and look for the ovoid blue shape on the map which is notated as the Conservatory Pond.  Some older maps label it as the Conservatory Waters but most patrons of  Central Park just call it the Model Boat Pond.  And that is what you should call it too if you ask for directions, as most patrons of the park don't know its name of record.

(Tidbit 2:  The Central Park Conservatory was never built but periodically there will be regattas of beautiful little model sail boats, including a wee pirate ship with grog barrels, racing in the pond so you can see how the name morphed as it did.)

As we all know, Pale Male's nest is on Fifth Avenue, the right (East) border of Central Park and 74th Street. The street nearest to the center of the Model Boat Pond if it ran into the park that is, is 74th.  Or if you would rather figure it for yourself,  go down to the 65th St. Transverse and count up.

For those of you interested in computing distances the crosstown blocks or Big Blocks, as they are called,  are four to a mile.  The Little Blocks, uptown/downtown blocks, are twenty to a mile. 

These nests are not all that far apart at all, now are they?  

Tra La! Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

FLASH!!! PALE MALE AND OCTAVIA HAVE A FLEDGE!!!!!! (Pale Male Does It Again!) And Addendum on Franklin Nest teircel/formel ID

Photo Stella Hamilton 

Just in from veteran Hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton!

 We have a fledge!

 No one knows when it happened because the  area where Hawkbench is was closed due to the Puerto Rican Day Parade. A bunch of us hawk watchers quickly stormed the Model Sailboat Pond as soon as the the cops gave us the OK to go right on in after the parade had ended. 

We heard the baby calling but could not find it right away. 

Mom, Octavia, was nearby, so baby must be around. After a few minutes of searching, Lincoln located baby on a railing of a building 2 blocks North of the nest building. 

Pale Male was also hanging around the terraces of the buildings and treetops along 5th Ave.  So, two more babies to go. 

It will be raining the next 2 days , so good luck. 

Stella

 Photo Stella Hamilton

And a vigilant parent is never far away!

Stay tuned!  More as it comes in!

ADDENDUM on the Franklin-  A heads up from Robin of Illinois--wonderful comparison of the ankles of a tiercel vs a formel eyass!  http://sunnydixie.blogspot.com/
HAPPY HAWKING!
Donegal Browne

Pale Male and Octavia, The Search for Rose of Fordham Continues, Rare Cooperative RTH Behavior!

 
Photo courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/
 The ever industrious Pale Male is still twigging for the 927 Fifth Avenue nest.
 
 Photo courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/  Octavia has developed the sleepy eyed hormonal look of a sitting formel.

 Hawkwatcher Al Olsen reports that Octavia had to wait almost three minutes beside the nest bowl after a break for Pale Male to give up sitting the eggs and make his exit.  Though I, and no one else I know, have ever observed Pale Male feed his eyasses, one gets the idea he thinks that prodigious hunting is a better use of his time, he has always displayed a grand fondness for sitting on the eggs.

No one so far has reported that Octavia has had to give him a poke with her beak to get him out of the nest bowl, on occasion, Lola, a mate of many years, periodically did oust him off the eggs that way.

June 2007, Hawkeye and Rose of Fordham 

Rose of Fordham has still not been sighted by any of her watchers and things are beginning to look grim,.

   I did receive some fascinating behavioral information from a birdwatcher at the NYBG.  Rose was observed hunting with her son called the Alpha Son or Jr.  They also double teamed the Great Horned Owls at their nest site.    I know of only two instances in which two Red-tailed Hawks participated in team hunting and both of them were bonded pairs.  Making cooperative endeavors by a mother and son even more rare.

  Mama and Papa in the Bronx were observed hunting pigeons in tandem by Jeff Kollbrunner and I observed cooperative hunting in the County M rural pair.

From  NYBG Birdwatcher-

On two occasions I saw Rose and Jr (as we called him) harassing the Great Horned Owls. It was unique behavior as he would land on a branch and the male owl ( defending the nesting female) would go into defense mode - shouldering his wings and hissing. Then Rose would suddenly appear on a branch in back of male owl- cornering him. I have never observed RT act this way before.  

Since then I've observed Rose and Jr flying and perched together. I ID her by band, color pattern and size. Last year I saw them hunting in the same manor, one distracts the prey - while the other goes in for the kill. 

I haven't seen Jr in quite sometime either. [Last observed by NYBG Birdwatcher about four months ago. DB] He was very brazen and people tolerant often buzzing the tops of our heads as he flew by. 

I watched Junior on the Museum bldg nest.  He was very aggressive in the nest and first to fledge.  I am certain it was this young male that hunted with Rose. 

Rose's favorite place to perch was the Native Plant Garden. The Garden has done extensive construction. Maybe this drove her away.   

There is another garden volunteer that photographs RT all the time. I will contact her and see if she has captured  any pictures of Rose, lately. 

Fingers crossed.

Donegal Browne

Octavia Sits the Nest. The Plaza Pair Copulate. Plus Four Winged Birds.

A heads up from Sally of Kentucky, concerning two pictures, featured on palemale.com  

 Pale Male and Octavia in similar flight positions.
This is Pale Male.  And the quick field mark for that identification if you are watching the Fifth Avenue nest?  Pale Male has a distinct sub-terminal band on his tail.
 
And Octavia's sub-terminal tail band is nearly nonexistent.

Plus yet another fascinating tidbit from Robin of Illinois-Early birds had four wings?

http://news.yahoo.com/early-birds-sported-4-wings-182629014.html

"More than 100 million years ago, birds living in what is now China sported wings on their legs, a new study of fossils suggests.  Researchers found evidence of large leg feathers in 11 bird specimens from China's Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature. The feathers suggest that early birds had four wings, which may have played a role in the evolution of flight, scientists report in a study published today (March 14) in the journal Science."

And a Clarifying Update on the Downtown Plaza Pair from Budding NYC Hawkwatcher Al Olsen in Case You Were Still Confused-

Talked to two hawk watchers who  thought that Mr. Plaza didn't have a mate. I told them about Stella and Katherine's observations when they saw O [Octavia, D.B.] and Pale Male uptown copulating and the Plaza pair copulating down south at nearly current time.  Seems someone is telling  them that isn't true.  It is. I was in park that day.

  I have been trying to track the southern hawks for  days now, more or less successfully. Have seen both hawks and copulation. 

Yesterday, I located the male on the Essex sign.   He flew west just as another hawk (his mate) flew off Crown building.  Crown hawk landed in big London Plane tree in the edge of Park by the wall and leaned forward in "the position". It was Plaza female. I'd lost Mr. Plaza but after five minutes or so he flew in and copulated with Mrs. Plaza.  They sat together for about six minutes and she flew back in direction of Crown. 

It can't be Octavia because she is sitting on the nest at Fifth Avenue and is said to have laid an egg or eggs besides the reliable observations of Stella, Katherine, and others.

Al

Many thanks for the clarifying observations Al, and keep those updates coming! 

Happy Hawking!

Donegal Browne 

FLASH! Palmale.com Reports Pale Male Taking a Pigeon to the 927 Nest Late Wednesday Evening< Is Octavia First Nighting on the Nest, and Clarification on the Nearly Simultaneous Copulation of Fifth Avenue and Plaza Pairs Plus Male Comparison In Differing Light

www.palemale.com reports that Pale Male carried a pigeon to the 927 Fifth Avenue nest late on Wednesday evening.  It is unknown whether Octavia was sitting the nest and possibly over nighting when Pale Male brought the food.  

As the time approaches for a formel to start sitting the nest, tiercels will often make a larder of the nest's edges .


CLARIFICATION ON THE WEEKEND SIGHTINGS OF PALE MALE, OCTAVIA, DOWNTOWN MALE, AND DOWNTOWN FEMALE.

Pondove, originally a Washington Square Park Hawk Watcher and a monitor of the NYTimes Hawk Chat room, sent me this email for clarification on the information gathered on this past weekend concerning Pale Male, Octavia, Downtown Male and Downtown Female by longtime hawkwatchers, Stella Hamilton (Downtown) and Katherine Herzog (Uptown)

Hi Donegal, 

 I am not 100% clear on this...were there TWO teams (I guess so because you said "about the same time")? So   the Plaza hawk is not Octavia if Octavia was copulating with Pale Male, right? They are certain, correct? 

PonDove 

Hello Pon,

Yes, we are certain.   Kat reported the copulation of Pale and Octavia uptown at 78th Street.

Stella reported the copulation of Downtown Male and Downtown Female almost simultaneously down south.  There are definitely two full pairs of Red-tails, one uptown and one downtown.

So it isn't as if anyone is missing a mate. That is absolutely certain.  Also Stella saw two hawks twigging downtown while Octavia and Pale Male were both in view uptown by Kat. It is a certainty.

But it also appears that Octavia and Downtown Male may be copulating as well on the side as it were, as they appear to be friendly with each other.  Unless of course there is a third female that has that black spot on her tail feather like the one Octavia has.

The next thing to track down is to see if DT Male appears to be chummy with "Octavia", not his mate nor the real Octavia downtown when the real Octavia is positively ID'd uptown.  It would be a rather huge coincidence  to have two slightly or completely without a sub-terminal band  females with a similar black spot on a tail feather but stranger things have happened in unbanded field sightings before.  Though I am currently leaning heavily in the direction that Octavia is practicing polyandry.

We do know that Octavia is seen flying downtown by Kat and then suddenly she is spotted by Stella in the South hawks  territory.  I find it unusual that Downtown Male's mate doesn't take O on for this behavior.  

 Perhaps they're related in some way and know each other. :)

I'm wondering if Downtown Male may have been the one who grabbed Octavia's pigeon due to John Blakeman's take that it could be an example of  sexual behavior between intimates and not serious beak and talon dangerous.

 Pale Male  was certainly serious about it, though he would be, that's HIS game with O if anyone is going to play it with her  if it were sexual bonding behavior.  And if it was thievery that's just way not happening in Pale Male's living room either.
 
Hope this helps. 

Next up the coloration difference of hawks in different lights generally and that of Pale Male and the Downtown Male specifically.

Scroll up to the top photo on this post and  see Lincoln Karim's photograph of Pale Male taking the pigeon to the nest late this evening.  Pale Male appear almost grayish and the contrast between head and back looks slight.

And here is one of my photos of Pale Male on the nest in the glare of a sunny day when the light is golden in late afternoon.  Note the huge difference in coloration between the same hawk in different light.

Next for your consideration, Stella Hamilton's photographs of Downtown Male on a very overcast day pushing 6PM, and the first one below back lit besides.  He looks quite dark.  

By the way straight on facially, he looks so very much like Pale Male.

Here is Downtown Male backed by a building a minute later.  Stella reports he is slightly darker than Pale Male with less contrast between the color of his head and that of his back.

I hope that this comparison clarifies some issues and helps with identification as well.  

Then arrives the million dollar question--

If Octavia is over nighting for the first time tonight and we do know that she and Pale Male were seen copulating today-- when was the last time Downtown Male and "Octavia" were seen being chummy.  Because there is then be the query as to when the first egg was laid and whether there might be some question of  the paternity for that egg.

Some season we're having and it's just the beginning.
 
And last but not least sharp eyed Sally of Kentucky pointed out to me that Pale Male now has a slight feather aberration that might aid in his identification for those who do not know him very well.  

Pale has broken a tip off his 4th primary Lt wing :)  Hard to see live but it might be useful in photos 

 

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne  
Scroll down for the earlier post of the day if you've not seen it yet.

Pale Male is Still the Monarch of Central Park and Every Inch a Gentleman, Plus Downtown Copulation

 Photo courtesy of palemale.com
Octavia fights to retain her pigeon meal from an intruder in full view of the watchers at the Hawk Bench.

(Sorry dear readers that this is going up so late, I was scanning and editing the vintage photos for a friend's book, which is due very soon to his publisher!)

It was a very exciting afternoon for those who were out in the  field today, and yes, our Uptown/Downtown Team was back in the  traces yet again too.

Katherine Herzog, our uptown contributor, was on the spot when the big Fifth Avenue Food Fight took place and it was one of the most exciting interchanges that has been seen in a good while according to the veterans at the Hawk Bench.. 

Octavia had a pigeon of which she was going to make a meal when an intruder Red-tail appeared and attempted to take it away from her.   And the spectacular aerial display began! 

Talons flashed up, there were swoops and lots of mid-air bumping.  The fabulous Keeeee cry of red-tails rang over the Model Boat Pond once again. 

 The intruder did manage to take the meal from Octavia but then it was Pale Male to the rescue with the Big O in support.

Ever the gentleman, Pale Male after spectacular flying and clever tactics, which brought many an exclamation from the ground, managed to retrieve Octavia's meal.  Which he then presented back to her.

Kat also reports that Pale Male and Octavia copulated at 78th St. this afternoon, and Stella reported that at just about the same time, the Downtown Pair was copulating as well.

Therefore with the confusing copulation in earlier days it was clear today that whatever is going on it isn't because someone somewhere was missing a mate, today's activities brought that thought to rest as everyone was seen "doing it" at about the same time.

At about 4:25pm (Eastern Time) Stella Hamilton called just as she sighted a Red-tailed Hawk flying downtown on Fifth Avenue.  The unidentified hawk then proceeded to fly back up Fifth Avenue. 
 Also in view were two hawks downtown, one on the Sherry Netherland gargoyle, preening , the Sherry Netherland was where the Downtown pair had copulated,  and there was another hawk on the roof of The Plaza near the flagpole.

Eventually the pair flew west toward The Essex and disappeared.

At about 4:40pm Katherine Herzog reported that Pale Male had been sitting on the Linda Building but then took off for the Ramble.

Where was O?  Was she the one flying down and than back up Fifth Avenue?  And if so, why?

Plus just who was the intruder who snatched O's pigeon?  

More to come as it happens!

 Happy Hawking! 
 Donegal Browne


 

 

Prologue: NYC Hawkwatcher Katherine Herzog on Pale Male and Octavia's Behavior from February 27-March 1, 2013 MUCH MORE TO COME FROM TODAY! STAY TUNED!!

 Photo courtesy of palemale.com
Octavia on the 927 nest on February 27, 2013

First a missive from longtime NYC Hawkwatcher Katherine Herzog in regards to the behavior of Octavia uptown and my  hypothesis that reverse sexual dimorphism is a product of female Red-tails fighting each other for the males in a similar way that many mammal males fight each other for the females. 

(For details on the hypothesis see the post below The Flash of earlier today.)

 Katherine Herzog's email sent before she and Stella Hamilton's adventures uptown watching Pale Male's nest and downtown watching the area around The Plaza.

I can only report what I've observed for the past three days, Feb 27 through Mar 1st....Pale Male and Octavia behaving like the consummate couple...flying together, sharing food, mating, sitting together, visiting the 5th Avenue nest together - rearranging the "furniture" and bringing in additional nesting material.  Their bond seems to be very strong.

I am impressed with Octavia's size and wing-span...sometimes when I see her flying she looks as big as a Turkey Vulture!

I don't know but it would not surprise me if the larger female RTHs choose their mates and not the other way around.  If this is so, perhaps they are the Alpha mate in the pairing hierarchy....which would give her authority and preference as to who she mates with....Pale Male, another mate, or possibly, alternating between both. 

 Of course, she would have to settle on one nest to lay and brood her offspring and the Plaza nest looks to be barely a nest (more like a pile from a "Pick Up Sticks" children's game!). 

Given all of Pale Male's experience and apparent good health... I have faith in our old friend to keep his cool and win over the (possibly) flirty female.

Won't be able to follow the Plaza goings on...so will have to depend on other people's observations. 

 [Stella Hamilton took on the duties of downtown observer today.  And Kat took over observation of 927 Fifth Avenue, uptown. D.B.]

As the Zen master said "we'll see".
 

Katherine Herzog 
 

STAY TUNED! MUCH MORE TONIGHT!
 But while you're waiting... another urban Mallard Mom gets human help escorting she and her ducklings through part of Washington DC to water.
 
Photo courtesy of Harald Olsen
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/ducks-walk-through-dc_n_2783548.html?utm_hp_ref=good-news&ir=Good%20News#slide=2167737
Donegal Browne 

FLASH- ANOTHER NEST A BLOCK FROM THE PLAZA AND OCTAVIA FLIES DOWN FIFTH AND BACK UP AGAIN

Stella Hamilton and Katherine Herzog, both NYC Hawkwatchers of long standing, took my suggestion and Kat stayed uptown in view of Pale Male's 927 nest and Stella went downtown to watch the area around The Plaza.

I'm still making sense of my notes, but one big discovery is  that there are a Red-tailed Hawk pair (identity currently not nailed down) busily taking twigs in and out from behind a cornice/facade, nest building on  "The Gold Building" a block from the Plaza. 

MUCH MORE TO COME TONIGHT!

Is Octavia Practicing Polyandry? This Weekend is the Time to Find Out!

 Octavia, left and Pale Male, full face, right 
 courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/

 Relevant musings concerning just who is copulating with whom in Central Park, just in from long time NYC hawkwatcher Katherine Herzog, who, by the way, has a very conveniently  located dentist for a hawkwatcher--

 The only good aspect to visiting my dentist is that he has a prime location for viewing The Hallet Nature sanctuary, corner of 59th and Fifth Avenue from the 14th Floor. Last week while waiting, a mature Red-Tailed Hawk carrying nesting material appeared flying close to the large picture window....my immediate thought was....could that be Pale Male and why is he so far south of his territory? Couldn't give a definite ID as it was raining and the color on the hawk was a bit darker than Pale's.

Then I saw the picture on the internet which has caused so much head-scratching: a bird looking very, very much like Octavia was seen with this "Plaza hawk".
Red-tailed hawks are supposed to be monogamous - but there are other observed hawks, like the Harris Hawk in the SW USA that are
polyandrous (one female copulates with more than one male). Could this be a case of polyandry? Maybe Octavia taking out a little insurance with a younger, stronger male but sticking with the more mature, more experienced mate with a fabulous nest? Was the "Plaza male" possibly Pale?

Yesterday, Pale Male seemed to be bringing prepared food for Octavia and they were flying around the nest the entire hour (4 - 5pm) that I was there...looking ever like the happy couple. Very interesting start to the nesting season.

Katherine Herzog

Great to hear from you Kat, thank you for your astute musings-and yes it is an interesting start to the Fifth Avenue season.

Could this be a case of polyandry?  

Of course it could as you know.  Just because it isn't in the Red-tail literature doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  We've observed many examples of Red-tail behavior that hadn't been recorded in print until the hawkwatchers of Central Park observed it.

I remember when I first began watching there was no documentation even that Red-tailed Hawks drank water in the wild.

Also a point Ohio Red-tail expert John Blakeman made regarding observation of  polyandry in Red-tails generally and in this possible example in particular, very few Red-tails are banded so it is very difficult even with all the lenses in Central Park focused on these famous hawks it is still nearly impossible to prove who is who categorically.  

Therefore polyandry may occasionally occur and no one has suspected it,  let alone proved it.  Right?

If Octavia is actually copulating with two males, you could be right that it's insurance, but I don't know a way to prove it.

Maybe she's a "party girl".  (The phrase is a joke but you know what I mean.) There is aberration of known behavior in many species when you begin looking at specific individuals.  And Red-tails do have very adaptive individualistic behavior in many areas of their lives why not this one in this area?

But...

 I've held the theory for some time that the reason for sexual dimorphism in raptors, the female being larger than the male, is because it is the females who fight each other for the male as opposed to what we much more often see, the males fighting over the females in which case the males are larger.

This could also explain something I've been hard pressed to figure out if there is polyandry going on in this case.  But perhaps if we add my theory and put into play my theory of reverse sexual dimorphism and its explanation perhaps there is an answer.

My question.

If Octavia is copulating with the Plaza Male, and it isn't Pale Male down south, why isn't he bombing down there and cleaning the Plaza Male's clock?

Author of Red-tails in Love, Marie Winn, pointed out to me while I was very green, that pairs are in constant visual contact with each other at this time of year.  And from my own experience I would say that to be true as well.

This is where my reverse sexual dimorphism/females fight females for males, and not the other way around, comes into play.

Also I believe there was a young female Red-tail in the area that Octavia trounced.  She therefore won her right to both males and now she gets to choose.

Positing that Octavia is actually practicing polyandry, Pale Male sees what she is doing-- but remember females fight females for males, he doesn't start any fisticuffs, he just finds more ways to persuade her to choose him instead of the other guy.  More of her favorite foods as gifts.  More renovations on the nest and reminding her of the great location.  More keeping her company, copulating, and doing whatever else may win him the damsel. 

Here is my suggestion for you and Stella Hamilton, (or the more eyes the merrier in both spots), this weekend.  Have your cell phones charged. 

One of you goes down to the Plaza and watches and the other hangs near the Fifth Avenue nest and watches.  The minute one of you sees Octavia and a male you call the other.  If say you see Pale Male uptown and Stella sees Octavia and a male downtown or vice versa, we'll know that polyandry is in progress.  

We'll know categorically that the Plaza Male is not Pale Male. Also that the downtown nest is not Pale Male and Octavia's second choice nest of this season and yes, oh ho, there are two males in play for one female.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

Happy Hawking!

Donegal Browne.