Friend, (mate of Doorstep Dove), and the kids send a big hello.I'd always wondered where Friend and Doorstep nested but as it wasn't in my yard and the direction appeared to be across the street and down a bit, in in area in which I don't know the neighbors , I didn't feel terribly comfy about rifling through their bushes.As it turned out, Quicksilver the African Grey, being the conversation starter that he is, started a conversation with a gentleman on the sidewalk who just happened to have a pair of doves that had nested in his back yard for years. Hmmm. Part of the way that I know that a pair is Friend and Doorstep is not only their looks but also their behavior in my yard. (Lets face it Mourning Doves don't have a belly band like Red-tails to give you a leg up in the personal ID department) and I'd never seen their nest behavior. Soooo..... Lots of Mourning Doves in the area but still, worth a shot. When I saw Doorstep out in the feeding area at my place, I trotted over to the neighbors and lay in wait. Okay I didn't actually lay, I sat. The bird on the nest seemed somewhat human habituated. He did glare but he didn't try to stuff the kids under himself and I detected some neck iridescence so male and did have the look of Friend. Then the female flew in and the male out. She bobbed her head, I bobbed mine and she settled in.It was Doorstep.Donegal Browne
Photo courtesy of palemale.com
From New York City Hawk Watcher Stella Hamilton with an update on Pale Male And Ginger Lima's eldest fledgling hasn't been doing as well as one might expect of a healthy eyass--
Dear Donna, I was at Cedar Hill again this afternoon to watch the babies. I arrived at around 5pm to find the 2 babies along the East drive , close to the Still Hunt (stone panther) . Fledgling # 2, the younger, smaller , darker,and healthy one, was on a tree toward the Ramble side with a rat that was handed over to it by Mom. I've also heard that Fledgling # 2 caught a pigeon by itself today .
Fledgling # 1, the bigger, lighter sick kid, was also on a tree along the East Drive toward Cedar Hill . I must say F#1 appears more animated, and more aggressive compared to yesterday. It was calling and moving and flying quite a bit . It even grabbed the rat from it's smaller sibling across the way and ate all of it on the ground. . Palemale later delivered another pigeon which the younger one ate on a Pine Tree close to the 79th street Transverse. So, it seems our sick baby is getting better , although not out of the blue. It roosted over the the Glade Arch after many attempts to hop from one branch to the other to find the most comfortable spot. I hope to check on them again tomorrow. Stella :)
Thank you Stella! Can't wait for the next installment.
Donegal Browne
Photo courtesy of palemale.com/
From James O'Brien, http://yojimbot.blogspot.com/
Took a trip to see the 5th ave. hawks from 12-2pm (Today, Friday the 12th. D.B.), here's what was observed:
The sick bird is the smaller, less active of the two juveniles. It also has a white bib, while its sister has that distinctive orange coloring on bib. According to hawk watchers, the bird was last fed yesterday morning. As of today, the bird had empty crop and was exhibiting behavior consistent with frounce such as listlessness, prolonged right eye closing, wing drooping and that hunkered down body language; although some did say it looked better than the day before. Bird is still capable of powered, controlled flight and was flying to various trees across Cedar Hill, occasionally begging. The watchers on site would remain to observe and report if there were any changes for the better or worse and if it accepts food from parents at feeding time. I also shared this group with a few of them in an attempt to get all parties on the same page.
Regards,
James
PS if you are coming to the site by train, major delays on the A,B,C,D and 4 lines due to a water main break at Yankee Stadium...take a bus if possible.
Next, I just got a call from Hawk Watcher Stella Hamilton who is currently on the spot. One of the Horvath's rehabbing associates came to check on the fledglings. It appears that Number 1 besides the listless behavior has a drooping wing. This is the fledgling which some days ago became very quiet and wasn't behaving normally when it came to activity. She is still flying and did steal some food from the other sibling. So may now be eating we hope.
More news as it comes in!
Donegal Browne
