The "Generations" of Pale Male Watchers

Photograph courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/

 
Happy Fall Back Day!  Remember your clocks!
 
This evening I opened my email box and found a note from a newer hawkwatcher who had been credited with a hawk observation by a longtime New York City hawkwatcher and blog contributor who had sent me a NYC Hawk Update that I'd previously received and published.

Proper credit being not only customary for published observations whenever possible, but to give credit where credit is due when passed along by a second respected hawkwatcher and published is an expectation. An expected and in reality ironclad necessity for any observation which would get you into very hot water in the past if you neglected to give the original observer their proper due. 

 In fact in the first and second generations of hawkwatchers to neglect giving credit for any sighting in which the observer is known,  is a rather horrid case of extremely poor birding manners. 

But times and mores seem to have changed with the entrance of the Third Generation Hawkwatchers.  

Let me clarify.   

The First Generation of NYC Hawkwatchers are known as The Regulars.  Their adventures with Pale Male,  his first mates, their nests,  and the birds of Central Parkl.  They are chronicled in Marie Winn's marvelous book, Red-tails in Love. 

The Second Generation of NYC Hawkwatchers arrived to help get Pale Male and Lola's nest site returned to them through protest or whatever might work, and then stayed to watch what happened next.  Myself included. 

 A few of us also took up the print chronicling torch first lit by Marie Winn.   

The Second Generation was nicknamed the Pale Male Irregulars, after Sherlock Holmes' Baker Street Irregulars who were the younger set in those adventures.

Many of the third great influx, the Third Generation  of watchers, came into hawkwatching by way of the Washington Square Park Hawks and the NYTimes HawkCam.  Many of these seem to prefer anonymity and have an expectation that sightings without  a person's name attached should be taken with the same validity as an observation in which a person puts their name on the line as proof of their veracity. 

It really is quite fascinating. 

Below is the email I received from the Third Generation hawkwatcher,  which brought this anomaly between generations to my attention.

Please remove my name from your blog.   Just a suggestion,  perhaps not use anyone's name under they specifically tell you they want their names published.

thanks

(Name withheld, D.B)

No problem.  Your name has been removed and I'll edit contributor's emails which include your name in the future as per your request.


Regarding your suggestion--

Here's why it has been traditional and important to watchers, for writers to include observer's names in the NYC nature blogs.

 Marie Winn was the original New York City Hawk story writer and bloggist and beyond all the other work she's published, she wrote a nature column for the Wall Street Journal.  And as you know, legitimate print wants, if at all possible, names to be used so information can be verified by others.   Therefore her blog was and is, in that style.

As Marie was the original, and we follow in her courteous footsteps, most of the second generation of hawk bloggists have attempted to follow her lead in giving named credit.

That's the top layer.

The second layer is that, as we also know,  some people's observations, because they are better observers or just more experienced than others, are more reliable. 

Therefore readers absolutely wanted to know who claimed the sighting so they could decide for themselves whether or not to believe it.  Even now when most everyone carries a camera, many photos could have been taken at another time or place and claimed through mischance or fraud as a current sighting.

And last but not least certain sightings particularly of fledgings, or whether a deep nest has been abandoned or is active take many hours, days, or even weeks to procure and those watchers deserve credit for their patience, perseverance, and for generously sharing that information with other watchers as opposed to keeping it without sharing "in their pocket", as a few have been known to do in the past.


Best,
D
 
In the end, for most of us, it is all done for the love of the hawks.  The more we share, the more people are moved to love  and protect them.

Happy hawking!
Donegal Browne

Pale Male and at Least One of His Youngsters Sighted Post Sandy

New Pale Male Irregular Ellen Smithson, sent in two reports today.  As Bruce Yolton had previously reported, Pale Male seems to have weathered the storm just fine.  Ellen, too has now  seen him, perched on the Oreo Building. 

Earlier in the day Ellen had seen, a young Red-tail perched in a tree behind  the Cafe which overlooks the Model Boat Pond (Conservatory Waters) which she was 95% sure had painted talons.  

Then on her second trip down the sidewalk outside the park along Fifth Avenue later in the day, she again saw a youngster in the trees, with a better view of the talons/ nail polish and now confirms it was one of Pale Male's fledglings from this year's nest.

Long time Central Park Hawkwatcher Katherine Herzog, also checked in with a Central Park Hawkwatcher Grapevine Update--

Hi Donna,

Sorry for the delay.  Things were mighty dicey here and for some folks they still are....

...Hawkwatcher (name withheld on request) saw Pale today sitting on Dr. Fisher's building.

Ran into her today on 5th Avenue (Central Park has been closed since Sunday and they have high barricades at every  park entrance.  Because of the big bucks that the Marathon pulls in - they are moving heaven and earth to get the park ready for the Sunday race. The sound of power saws is constantly in the air).

  Hawkwatcher (name withheld on request) got a report from a Park Ranger that two immature RTs were seen at Turtle Pond.  Don't know if its Pale's babies....or  just two migrating immature RT hawks.

Gotta run and do some errands....I hear the grocery stores are starting to get re-supplied.  Hope they have some beer, at least.

Best,
Kat


Happy Hawking! 
 Donegal Browne 

Herzog on the Current Fifth Avenue Fledgling Situation, and the Coming of the Winter Birds

  Photo courtesy of http://palemale.com/
Pale Male keeps his eye on things, as usual.

An update from Katherine Herzog, long time hawkwatcher,  who has specialized in Central Park Red-tails, particularly Pale Male, for many years. 
She's been down with bronchitis but is passing along the news from The Central Park Hawk Grapevine...

 Hi D - 
  
There have been sightings of the fledglings....near Bow Bridge and The Ramble....though they are usually operating independently.  Someone saw one of them eating a rat on a tree near Bow Bridge (didn't see if the fledgling had caught it or if it was delivered by Pale Male).

Others have seen Pale Male and his new consort (Lincoln named her "Octavia" as she is his 8th female companion) flying with "the 2 fledglings" over the sailboat pond.  Problem is:  with the skies full of migrating raptors - how can one be sure these are Pale's fledglings and not just migrating juveniles passing through his territory?  Pale Male flew with them but his consort attacked them and drove them off....if PM is to continue to provide food for his offspring, he'll have to do it on the sly.  The "wicked step-mother" is having none of it!

 You're right that the fledglings were just starting to hunt (I think they fledged around the 20th of June - just weeks before they were picked up for rehab)....they were hunting mice and rats (most likely slow moving rats having eaten lethal doses of rat poison).

When I hear more - I'll pass it along. 

All the best, Kat

  A NOTE...
Calling Octavia "wicked step-mother", is a joke. Kat and I both know that Octavia is doing what likely comes quite naturally to her while being courted by a new mate in which the pair bond has as yet been consummated.  Other hawks are her competition and unlike Pale Male she doesn't know his progeny from Adam. 

Kat is also right that at this time of year, there are many migrating Red-tails passing through Central Park and Octavia no doubt feels they should stay out of her conjugal territory.  

Pale Male and Lola knew after years of watching together that many of the new hawks would be gone in a day or two.  And even those that stayed in the Park to overwinter, due to the luscious prey base, would eventually disperse.  And the yearlings that didn't bug out with the rest, were no match for the pair come time to harden the territory's  boundaries when their hormones told them it was time to get serious.

Octavia will likely calm down as the years progress, but as we all know not only is Pale Male the Monarch of Central Park, but he is the King of Stealth and downright crafty besides.  Perhaps not only will his rehabbed watch him in his hunts and therefore learn their craft, but perhaps he'll periodically elude Octavia's eye in order to augment their diet.

And the Wisconsin report-- The Winter Birds Arrive, and the Walmart Red-tail.

The Dark-eyed Juncos have returned.  First it was the females and now the males, like the one above, have arrived.

An immature White-crowned Sparrow perhaps?

And last but not least the Walmart Red-tailed Hawk, who was last seen on the blog, with a Red-wing riding her back, cruises unfettered.

Donegal Browne