FLASH! HOUS FOUND!

Photograph by Nabil E., http://www.fotonyc.net/Gallery2/index.php

Hous from Wednesday before he collapsed in the mud puddle.

Thursday--

Jules had made it to the park by late afternoon and Adam had either come back from the morning search or stayed all day. Hous was discovered on the diving board. Where he'd been before this no one can say but at least we know he is still alive. And Trib was there too. Finally a sighting of them both together.

When Jules called to tell me, I asked if it might be possible to capture Hous. Jules said, "Afraid not."

People don't have access to the high dive area, other than park staff and that happens only very sporadically, no doubt one of the reasons Athena and Atlas chose it for young hawk meals in the first place. And though very ill, today Hous can still fly enough to stay out of our reach. So there he sat looking "very bad." No one has seen him eat in at least three days.

I do so wish we had been there to bring him in on Wednesday when he was in the collapse.

As I was talking to Jules, a squirrel trotted into the high dive area, as we decided taking his life in his own hands with Trib right there. The squirrel went to the edge of the empty high dive pool and climbed down the ladder. ??? I asked if there was collected water in it. Yup. Squirrel was going through all the danger because Squirrel was very thirsty. (Available water is a big problem for wildlife in many of our urban parks.) Trib may have watched squirrel but he had a very full crop so wasn't even tempted to try and go for him. After his drink squirrel climbed back up, made it across the no squirrel is safe zone and went on his way.

It's interesting, and we've noted it before at the Fifth Avenue nest, sometimes the prey animals seem to know when the hawks are full and less likely to go for them.

After dark as Adam walked to the subway, he called again with his last report of the day. When it was time for the family to roost, Atlas went and stood next to Hous in an attempt to get him to fly up to a tree roost with the rest of the family.

After some coaxing, Hous tried. He tried to fly up to the tree with the family but couldn't land properly and missed the perch as he was flying badly. After missing the good perch he'd been going for, Hous finally managed to land in a tree on a branch that was really too thin for him. But no doubt exhausted from the effort he stayed put though it wasn't a good spot at all according to Adam. But still Hous was too high for us humans to attempt a rescue. Darkness fell. The humans went home.

Tomorrow is another day, but will tomorrow be too late?

Donegal Browne