Two Hawks, Too Hot, 1 Jul 2006

HOT.

6:20pm Sam, Albatross the wheelie bag, and I start making it up the hill.
6:26pm Walking toward the Cathedral on the east sidewalk, suddenly I hear a Catbird repeating a stident call. We can't seem to pinpoint it. Back and forth on the walk. A squirrel whines.
6:45pm We head south on the mid-path.
6:48pm I catch sight of wings flying down through branches.

6:51pm She's watching two squirrels with her head cocked when we come up the path.


6:55pm First find, second angle.

7:08pm I decide I really have to see the back of the fledge so take off planning to circle back.


7:11pm On my way, there is a horde of Robins reading the riot act in cahoots with a Catbird and there's the other fledge. I never do get round to the back of the other one.


7:37pm Watching the helicopter.


7:40pm Picnic Rock N fledge suffers from the heat.

This Fledge had chosen a day perch deeper in the "bowl" of the park, where the air is still and feels more humid. Lots more small birds bugging this one as well.

Both fledges are now on either side of a large rock formation "table" which is below the stairs one can take walking north, then west to exit the park closest to the Cathedral


Picnic Rock S fledgling. Is is tempting to think of this one as Eldest due to the more adult posture and her tendency to look straight into the camera but....

7:43pm Fledge on Picnic Rock S, takes off to tree further into the park.


And just what does Blondie think she's doing in MY bushes?

(Sam requests a little footnote here in case someone ACTUALLY thinks she's in the bushes bothering the hawks. She's not. I 'd asked her to go round to the path above, used by a myriad assortment of pedestrians at any given moment, in an attempt to get a look at the fledgling's back patterns so we could ID them. Unfortunately she couldn't see them so we don't have IDs for today. See, if she had been in the bushes, we'd know. Ah, the sacrifices of ethical hawkwatching.)

Bumblebee?

The Bumblebee must die.

Time to check out the buildings on the other side of the park for the parental units. There looks to be something across the way. Sam focuses the scope on an antenna and says, "It's a Falcon. Wait, it's little. Maybe a Kestrel?"


Another opinion,"It's a Robin?" I look.


It is a Kestrel!

Suddenly he takes a pugnacious stance.

7:53pm Samantha spots male Kestrel on antenna of building on SW corner of 110th and Central Park North.

7:54pm Seemingly awaiting her chance to exit unobserved, when we look back the Fledgling on Picnic Rock N has disappeared.

8:09pm We catch sight of wings taking off and Immature RT flies from tree on west side of park to tallest London Plane in lower quadrant of east side of Morningside Park. Catbirds on our side are still being insistant about something so we listen, we tromp through the bushes, we strain our eyes in dim trees. The other fledge is here somewhere but that somewhere remains a mystery.


9:10pm Good Night.