Photos by Dinko Metic
He has a brown tail, light eyes, can fly like a demon, and is showing off for Franklin Mom. Pale Male also was a Brown-tail his first breeding season, though as his mate was also barely more than a youngster herself, there were quite a few wrinkles to be ironed out. In this case, Franklin Mom already knows her stuff.
New Guy left, Franklin Mom right,
In From Jackie of Tulsa:
Facebook text/photos by Dinko Mitic .
"He flies high and
does all kinds of dives. I've seen him more active than Mom and T2 ever. They
seem to be more efficient or know where they are going, this one seems to be
showing off."
"He's young.
He's fast. He flies circles around Mom. He's already at home in her territory.
Could he be T3?"
I saw him flying around the Barnes, Free Library, the FI.
Then Mom emerged from somewhere around Rodin and he went after her. They flew in
close circles, I heard them both screech (over the Greek parade on the
Parkway!). Then they flew together towards the football field on 24th and
Parkway."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FranklinHawkaholics/
He could be T3! He is definitely showing off his stuff for Mom and Mom has not thrown him out of the territory. A Brown-tail with an experienced mate, as Mom is, can be a dynamite Dad if his hunting skills match his flying skills...and he takes his cues from Mom about nest breaks and food provisioning for her on the nest now and for the eyasses later.
Young Storm'n Norman, also an exuberant flyer, who became Isolde's last minute mate at the St. John's nest at the Cathedral in NYC after the loss of Tristan, was dynamite at protecting the territory and his flight skills were grand even if he was a touch lacking at first when it came to hunting for Isolde and calming down long enough to actually sit on the eggs so Isolde could take breaks.
But he showed up willing at the last minute, with breeding season pressing hard, just as the New Guy has in this case, and though Isolde had to glare sometimes and clean up his manners, they were successful their first season together! And as Storm'n Norman was young and always looking for a fight he expanded the borders of their territory and reduced the appearance of unwelcome visitors near the nest.
NEW ADDENDUM Answers to Sally of Kentucky's relevant questions concerning the replacement of T2 at the Franklin Nest.
Was
on the Franklin FB page and everyone is wondering if Mom will stay in
her territory. A few think she has to leave to find a new mate. I think
a new male may come in. Can you recall what time of the season Rose
lost her mate and Isolde lost Norman? And is Norman still around or are
we on another male? Something tells me we are...It is so hard to
follow. Just curious what you remember
Absolutely Mom will stay in her territory! Isolde did and so did Rose. There are always floaters in the market looking for just this sort of occasion to be Johnny on the Spot when an opening appears.
I do remember details regarding Isolde's remating with Storm'n Norman. It was getting very near to breeding season when Tristan disappeared but Isolde kept searching and searching for him, protecting the territory from falcons the whole time, then searching some more. It was only a day or two before copulation ordinarily was to begin when Isolde appeared with Norman. I was up at the Cathedral looking for her , when though she still wore the horribly stressed expression she had worn since Tristan disappeared, Isolde and Norman flew in and began to copulate on an air conditioner right above my head. The reproductive imperative is very strong and I cannot imagine that Franklin Mom won't have a mate when she is ready to produce eggs this year. And now that the New Guy has appeared and Mom is tolerating him in the territory, I'm thinking bonding may well have begun for this season for Mom.
No Norman is no longer around and Isolde has a new mate. Norman disappeared during Hurricane Sandy and a dead Red-tail was found by workers in the area.
I've often thought that as Norman was always one to put up a fight against adversity, laying low wasn't in his repertoire, that he didn't take proper shelter during Sandy, but rather, as always, was standing guard and went down fighting.
D.B.
(Previous post of the day follows.)
