FOUR AT FORDHAM, NYC AUDUBON TAKES UP THE ANTI-RODENTICIDE TORCH, TWO AND ONE AT THE CATHEDRAL AND THE FRANKLIN ACCESS WINDOW

Photograph by Richard Fleisher

IT'S A NYC FIRST IN HAWK WATCHER MEMORY! FOUR EYASSES HATCHED AND ABOUT TO FLEDGE! COUNT 'EM!

Update from the Fordham nest from Richard Fleisher:

Finally we got a nice, bright sunny day and I thought I would use the opportunity to check on the Fordham nest. When I got there I was very surprised to find four youngsters walking on the ledge of Collins Hall (see attached photo). They all seem to be doing quite well. This breeding cycle is obviously behind other Red-tail nests in NYC in that none of these youngsters are close to fledging. I went back and compared their development with pictures from previous years and this year's nest is running about ten days to two weeks behind. Based on the minimal amount of flapping and jumping, I would guess that we are at least a week away from the first one leaving the nest. I will try to get back to observe in a few days. I took lots of photos today and as I process them I will post them on flickr -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/profman_wildlife_photos/

Rich

Photo courtesy of palemale.com
Pale Male gets ready to make the delivery of a pigeon, thank goodness not a possibly poisoned rat, to the nest.

AND NYC AUDUBON GOES TO BAT FOR PALE MALE AND THE GANG YET AGAIN! THIS TIME PUBLICIZING THE DANGERS OF SECOND GENERATION RODENTICIDES.

Sandy Fiebelkorn and Susan Elbin of NYC Audubon are working on a rodenticide brochure that helps spell out the danger of use of 2nd generation rat poisons. Hopefully it will help reduce the risk to Red-tailed Hawks and other wildlife.

Photograph by Rob Schmunk of Bloomingdalevillage.blogspot.com/
THE DIVINE UPDATE- Eldest and Middle of the St. John Cathedral nest hang out together

Photograph by Rob Schmunk
And Youngest, not quite ready to make the big leap, looks on.

And from Franklin Institute of Philadelphia Nest Watching Robin of Illinois,

Updates on the second to successfully fledge, probably #2 eyass to be hatched, which leaves eyass #3 still growing out her feathers on the nest (after leaping off the nest on Tuesday morning but still unable to fly), and then having to be returned to the nest.

Some excellent photos the rescue of #3 from Tuesday.

Note, the Franklin Institute has installed a special window pane (at some point, off nesting season, I presume), for access to the nest. Franklin Institute and the Franklin "hawk bench" really do everything right!
sunnydixie.blogspot.com/

They really do, do it right. Great idea about the access window, just put the early fledgling back on the nest. Brilliant. No muss, no fuss, no unnecessary drain on rehab facilities or human contact, and no stress for the parents!

Donegal Browne