Thanks to Bobby Horvath for kindly leaving me a phone message that Charlotte and Jr's eyass had been released today.
Thanks also to Ben Cacace of http://novahunter.blogspot.com/ for this update.
The 888 7th Ave. fledgling was released at the south end of Central Park today at 2:30pm and Rik Davis let me know that he was watching the young RT in a tree around Heckscher Ballfields. I called him around 3:05pm today.
Ben
Okay folks, get to the park, have some fun, and participate in Eyass Watch. Take my word for it, it's wonderful. And watching her right now is extremely important. It's our job to make sure she stays out of trouble. (Yeah I know, tough, having to watch an adorable eyass. :-) Also we need to know if Charlotte and Jr. are picking up her care or not. There has been a seven day lag so we don't know for sure whether her parents will continue to care for her or not. Though we sorely do hope so, she needs to be watched discretely to make sure that happens.
Donegal Browne
Wasn't the eyass found around 55th Street. If so, why was it released into Central Park at 66th Street? That seems to be quite a distance from where it was found.
ReplyDeleteAlso, about 7 days have lapsed since it was taken away. Would Palemale Jr and Charlotte continue to be searching for it after so many days have gone by? Unfortunately, the eyass hadn't yet acquired the necessary flying and hunting skills to be able to survive without its parent's help at this stage in its development. I'm hoping for a good outcome, but still. . .
All the Red-tail bonded pairs that nest near Central Park have hunting territories within the park. And the goal of these parents is to get their eyasses into Central Park where they can branch on trees, practice their flying, and learn all their Red-tail lessons, including learning to feed themselves.
ReplyDeleteMost eyasses though they sail off the nest with greater or lesser expertise, can't actually fly for some days after fledging. They don't have the wing strength yet to get themselves off the ground nor the ability to work their bodies so they have control of what happens when they are in the air. They need to branch and practice. Leaving the eyass where was found would be stranding her on the ground, a dangerous place for an eyass particularly in a city, with no safe way of getting to the park or a roof where she could branch safely and be fed by her parents in peace. She couldn't fly and walking to the park even if her parents could have tempted her there whould have entailed crossing streets and dealing with crowds of humans. Neither safe things for an eyass.
She is currently within the range of her parents territory. The last news I have, is that she was under the eye of a hawkwatcher. If I weren't out of state dealing with family business there is no question I'd be there myself. I suspect others feel the same and will attempt to monitor her.
The big worry currently is whether the seven day lag from her fledge off the nest and when she was last fed by her parents will have been too long for her to continue to be cared for by them. Because of the break in the feeding cues, Charlotte and Jr. may no longer have the hormonal urge to continue her care. There is no doubt that she will beg, the concern is whether or not Charlotte and Jr. are still capable of responding.
We all dearly hope they will.