Red-tail Update-Morningside Park Hawks, Plus NYBG

Isolde by D. Browne
From newest hawkwatcher and fire escape hawk presence contributer Nara regarding Morningside Park Hawks Isolde and Norman--

Hi Donna,

Well, our friends have decided not to spend the night the last two nights. I assume they sought alternative accommodations as it was warmer. We saw a flutter of wings at sunset out the window yesterday, but then nothing. One of them may have been in the tree right across the way in the park, between 119 and 120, but we couldn't see well as it was dark.
So unlike the rest of the city, we're hoping for cold temps again so they come back!

It turns out the guy I thought was the handyman is one of the security guards that patrols Morningside Drive (we just moved here in September so I'm still figuring out who everyone is). So he's outside all the time looking around, including at the birds, and noted that they were around a lot in the fall. I ran into the people who previously lived in this apartment (and are now down the hall) and asked them if they'd ever seen the hawks on the fire escape. They hadn't, so this seems to be a new haunt for them.

Nara

From Pat Gonzalez, this is a flight shot of the mystery mature Red-tail from yesterday's post. Anyone who knows this hawk, please get in touch.


Immature Red-tailed Hawk at the NYBG

Also from Pat-

Donegal:

I went back to the NYBG yesterday. I saw our mystery hawk again, but couldn't get a decent shot, but in another section I came across a younger hawk that let me take a few pictures.

Black-capped Chickadee

After four visits, I finally found some chickadees! Waaaaaaay out, by the Bronx River. I even got some of them to land in my hand. Sadly, the wild wetland trail is now a temporary wasteland, still frozen with hardly anything for the birds to hang out. Looking forward to all this settling down so our fine-feathered pals can return.

Speaking of return, the mystery farm duck is back!

{Long time readers will remember the lengthy discussion about this duck in particular as to what kind she is and farm ducks in general as to what kind they are.
I'll be heading back to the garden next week, the battle plan is to go on a sunny day and get a bright, clear photo of a perched red-tail. My zoom lens is working O.T. Still no sign of the GHO [Great Horned Owl]h. Scanning the native forest with my binoculars and nada.

To be continued.

Pat Gonzalez


And that's today's catch folks!
Donegal Browne