Pale Male sits on Green Awning
What with the still cloudy, cool, and moist weather the Irregulars haven't been spending all that much time just sitting around on the Hawk Bench. It's more like a number of brief visits and pass-throughs. Today's limited news, reports Pale Male on Stovepipe, Pale Male sitting on the sill of the second window from the right on the second floor from the top of the Green Awning/Barbara Walters Building(She supposedly lived in the building at some point back in the day) and Pale Male surveying his territory from the antenna on The Oreo but no one who wrote in saw Lola at all.
Yes, I'm firmly convinced she was on the nest otherwise Pale Male wouldn't have been in evidence. He'd have been on the nest. They didn't even see the top of her head poking up above the twigs or an eye peeking through them. Certainly different from yesterday when it seemed Lola and Pale Male were switching off more often than usual for meals, short breaks, and nest readjustment activities. Was this just bad timing on the part of the Irregulars or is there a big change in behavior between yesterday and today? Could it have significance?
We are on Day 38 since Lola's first overnight of the season on the nest. I just pulled out original hawk watcher, James F. Lewis' invaluable chart, History of the Fifth Avenue Red-tailed Hawks as of 4/21/06. Lola sat for 36 days in 2002, 40 days in 2003, and 39 days in 2004. Friday will be day 40.
Okay, reader Jamie Bottom wants to know, "What's with the Cardinal?" Well who can resist one in the first place, and in the second place, this guy has been spending 99% of his time in the top of this tree here in Wisconsin, singing, and singing, and singing. Now as he's been spending so much time singing his heart out up there, and I've seen any number of Cardinal pairs, I'm figuring he hasn't a mate and he's attempting to get one.
We are on Day 38 since Lola's first overnight of the season on the nest. I just pulled out original hawk watcher, James F. Lewis' invaluable chart, History of the Fifth Avenue Red-tailed Hawks as of 4/21/06. Lola sat for 36 days in 2002, 40 days in 2003, and 39 days in 2004. Friday will be day 40.
Okay, reader Jamie Bottom wants to know, "What's with the Cardinal?" Well who can resist one in the first place, and in the second place, this guy has been spending 99% of his time in the top of this tree here in Wisconsin, singing, and singing, and singing. Now as he's been spending so much time singing his heart out up there, and I've seen any number of Cardinal pairs, I'm figuring he hasn't a mate and he's attempting to get one.
He certainly gets points for effort. I'll let you know how he does.
Donegal Browne
There was one of those lonely male cardinals in Morningside Park on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteAnd Rik said there was one in the trees by the Bench as well. Poor guys.
ReplyDeleteI often see Cardinals in pairs during the winter. Could these solo performers be never before mated males and/or widowers?
Do the unmated females show up later in the season as is the case with Robins or is there a shortage of female Cardinals this year?
Do Cardinals mate for life?
Any Cardinal buffs or experts out there that have some thoughts?
By the way,rbs, love those double crests on the cormarant in your photo. They're quite the hoot. The blue eyes are pretty terrific too. The lady Cormarants are really going to fall for that guy.
ReplyDelete