Could that be Isolde? Human Habituated Red-tails and the Albino White-tailed Buck

Photograph by Jeff Murphy

I've not yet received the photographs of this hawk, purportedly more detailed, taken while she was sitting on the building's antenna. But I did hear back from uptown residing James O'Brien of The Origin of the Species blog . I'd asked James about the possibility that the hawk in the photograph might be Isolde of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine nest located at 103rd St. and Morningside Drive.

James wrote that he didn't think that the Cathedral Hawks made it that far east, but that there were Red-tail sightings in Carl Schurtz Park which is adjacent to the East River. (It is the off season so hawks do more wandering outside their usual territorial boundaries so it doesn't completely exclude Isolde. DB) Would it be possible that Red-tails might have begun nesting over there unbeknownst to us?

Excellent question James.

So I sent the question off to the folks at The Carl Schurtz Park Association asking after any possible sightings of a Red-tail nest or past nesting activity. I can't wait to hear.

And while we're on the topic of human habituated hawks like the one above, and for those of you who haven't yet discovered the comments sections or don't check back in with previous blog entries, I received information about window watched Red-tails from another New Yorker, this one anonymous, with a popular fire escape.

Anon wrote-

Speaking about hawks becoming habituated to humans, most of the hawks I've seen sitting on my fire escape in Brooklyn fly away almost as soon as they see me. I view them from my window which is only about 5 feet away.

However, there was one instance where a juvenile Red-tail glanced at me and then completely turned around so that his back was facing me. I was surprised by how indifferent he was to my presence.

I responded- Dear Anon,

Unless the indifferent juvenile hawk on your fire escape was debilitated in some way, you very likely were looking at a young hawk born and bred very near people. Urban juveniles can be particularly oblivious to humans. You’re just part of their natal landscape like a tree or a taxi cab. Most of these urban juveniles eventually learn to be somewhat more wary once they are out and about on their own, though as far as I have observed they never become as reticent around people as their country cousins.

Next up from the world capital of albino wildlife, Wisconsin--

Amy Mattson of Mequon photographed a rare all-white buck this month on Sauk Road near Highway 32, outside Port Washington, WI.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/albino-3v34dm5-134212838.html

Donegal Browne

Is this Isolde from the Cathedral Nest of St. John the Divine, Mate of Stormin' Norman?

Why you are looking at this will become clear later. This is Isolde in the foreground sitting on the Cetorelli railing on Christmas Eve a few years ago. Keep in mind, it's much colder in this picture than in the following ones so her feathers are all fluffed out for warmth making her look even bigger than usual.

Earlier in the month Wisconsinite Jeff Murphy was attending his daughter's wedding reception in a party room atop a building somewhere in the neighborhood of 91st and York when to everyone's amazement a very large Red-tail cruised in and landed on the roof's railing.

Most people in Wisconsin recognize a Red-tail when they see one so when Jeff told me he'd seen a big Red Tail on the upper East Side, I figured that he hadn't seen something else he just thought was a big Red-tailed Hawk. One hurtle surmounted.

It came to mind, wouldn't it be fun if it were Isolde come to hunt pigeons and attend the wedding reception?

Well the photographs arrived in my mailbox today, and though these shots are back lit, the bird does appear to be a big dark female. Not only that, but the fascinated guests approached to within 20 feet of her. She stuck. Another tic off the list-a human habituated hawk.

Then those folks not necessarily up on RTH courtesy went within 10 feet of her. She gave them "the look" and they stopped their approach.

All well and good but a split focus isn't grand for hunting so the Maybe-Isolde-Hawk did one of those famous disappearing drops off buildings that urban Red-tails do-- Whoa, no hawk, and soared away below their eye level. Only to be spied not long after making ascending circles and then tidily landing on the building's antenna above their heads.

Jeff then asked Bridgett, his daughter the bride, to get her camera, purportedly better than his, to take shots of the Red-tailed Hawk on the antenna. I'm supposed to be receiving those on disc soon. Yea! More evidence is coming for continued sleuthing towards an ID.

But in the meantime, scroll back up to the top photograph. (Second photo now. D.B.) On some monitors you may be able to see her eye better than others. It looks to me to be large and almond shaped as Isolde's eyes are. There is also something about the curve of her neck and her profile that seems Isolde-ish.

Wait, sit right there, actually you won't have to wait, as when you get to the blog, if I can find a photo that is helpful reasonably quickly it will already be there by the time you tune it. On second thought I'll publish it this way so you won't have to wait. If it isn't there check back for it.

Other wise you may have to wait until the next post. I covered the Recall Walker Event at the Wisconsin Capital today for one of the local papers and I'm fading fast. AND there wasn't a Red-tail in sight. Very disappointing . If a billion jillion people packed into Pale Male's territory, he wouldn't have missed it for the world. He always attends everything. Keeping up with the times? Watching what his people are up to? Hoping for disrupted prey?

Oh no, another question, why aren't there any Red-tails nesting on or around the Capitol, with all it's archaic nooks and crannies plus its green spaces?

Off to find Isolde...maybe.

Donegal Browne

P.S. Got one, maybe more later.