Pale Male and Lola Suspicions and the Riverside Nest

Though the report of unusual behavior from photographer and long time Bench observer, Rik Davis came later in the day, we'll take that on first, as we're all on pins and needles about Pale Male and Lola.

Today, Sunday, early afternoon, Rik observed Pale Male and Lola standing on the nest together for half an hour. Intermittently looking into the bowl, checking territory, looking back into the bowl. Then after that interlude they switched back and forth tending the nest several times. One would sit while the other left for 15 or so minutes and then then switch back again. This happened repeatedly.

I looked at Rik's photographs, and then we discussed my observations of unusual behavior over the last few days.

On 4/16 I'd begun to be, I guess suspicious that something might be going on. Look at the photo above. Pale is standing to the rear of the nest and they are both staring down.


I began seeing particularly unusual things on 4/16/08. Nothing huge just very different. Note how Pale Male is standing on the rim of the bowl. I'd never seen him do this before in this manner. Then they stood on the nest together for much longer in tandem than usual. There were also a few glances down at the bowl.


Here's Lola is staring into the bowl on 4/17. Yes, at this point Pale Male is in it. But as he rises instead of watching him, she continues to scrutinize the bowl of the nest.

I have a sequence of her back that lasts nearly ten minutes on 4/17.


See where she is looking as Pale Male checks territory.

On 4/18/08 Lola adopted a completely new posture. She's sitting up on the edge of the bowl in a different way and she repeatedly kept looking over her shoulder down into the bowl.

Now, I must say we've been fooled before, but with Rik's observations of today, well, every day things become more and more "interesting".

By the time Samantha, my daughter, and I arrived at Fifth Avenue today, Lola was already deep in the nest and Pale Male was no where to be seen. Sam and I had gone over to check on the Riverside 79ers Nest first. That nest report next.

Photograph by Donegal Browne
5:20:20 As we came up the path, a Red-tail flew into a tree in Riverside Park and perched.

Photograph by Donegal Browne
5:20:34 The bird then began to switch perches within that tree.

Photograph Donegal Browne
5:21:19 Then another perch. Then an "Aha" look.

Photograph Donegal Browne
5:21:49 Closer scrutiny at the bark. (This is when I begin to have technical difficulties and therefore loose the confirmation sequence of who is doing what.)

Photograph Donegal Browne
5:23:42 Between this photo and the one taken at 5:21:29, a hawk lands on the already occupied nest with a long piece of bark in his beak and I suspect the above pigeon in his talons. That hawk leaves. The above hawk now takes the pigeon and leaves as well. The nest is unoccupied for about 7 minutes.

Photograph Samantha Browne-Walters
5:24PM In the meantime daughter Sam has taken a photo of a hawk in flight going north. The nest is unoccupied.

Photograph Samantha Browne-Walters
5:29:17 Sam locates the hawk eating the pigeon while I stake out the nest.

Photograph Samantha Browne-Walters
5:29:41

Photograph Samantha Browne-Walters
5:29:48PM Hawk eating as hawks do-with speed and focus.

Photograph by Donegal Browne
5:30:12 Hawk arrives on the nest and begins a major renovation. Bark put into place, twigs pulled and re-inserted.

Photograph by Donegal Browne

Photograph by Donegal Browne

Photograph by Donegal Browne

Photograph by Donegal Browne
This hawk takes off.

Photograph Samantha Browne-Walters
5:30:38 Sam catches this hawk in flight toward the nest.

Photograph by Samantha Browne-Walters
5:30:51 Hawk lands on the nest.

Photograph by Donegal Browne
5:32:05 The arriving hawk carefully checks what has been done to the nest. A number of people arrive to ask questions and look through the scope.

Photograph by Samantha Browne-Walters
In the meantime Sam has started photographing squirrels...

Photograph by Samantha Browne-Walters
...And the ladies of Riverside Park.

Photograph by Donegal Browne
5:34:44 Hawk settles into the nest and we pack up for the trip to the Fifth Avenue nest.

Photograph by Samantha Browne-Walters
7:06PM We hear the Report from the Bench. Lola is deep in the nest and Pale Male is out of sight. The crowd of park goers thins and it's time for the resident Mallard pair to come out of the Model Boat Pond and attempt to dry out for awhile. This happens every evening. Even ducks can't stay in water all the time. If they don't dry out sometimes they develop fungus on their feet.

And also every evening over and over passers-by sometimes with dogs and sometimes without take pleasure in flushing them back into the pond.

Photograph by Eleanor Tauber
This is not a look from Sam of only teenage disgust, the rest of us have this look as well. Why? People just can't not molest the ducks, often and repeatedly. They think, "What's the big deal? It's only me making them jump back in the water." Wrong. It happens in about 20 seconds, every time the ducks get out of the pond. Now as you're reading this you no doubt have enough empathy for animals not to be such a cluck.

So what do we do with the rest of them? We just keep on showing people the hawks and the other animals. We talk about their lives and behavior in hope that someday those folks too will learn empathy. We hope that all of you, wherever you are, do the same.

Donegal Browne