Pale Male and Zena's Fledgling Spotting for July 6th!

 All photos by Jeff Johnson as is commentary in italics.  Unitalizied commentary is mine.

Donegal,

Entered the Park from 86th Street and didn't hear or see any signs of the Red-tails until crossing by the west side of Glade Arch south of 78th Street. Heard a brief begging call to the east side of the little hill there. Fledge upper left corner. Metadata time read 1547.

Fledge is ESE of the stonework arch and doing some "patient" calls for food. I think it's the Mottled Belly female.

Walking a few steps due south and looking back toward the Glade Arch you can see the proximity of the fledge to the stonework better in this frame. Fledge is upper right corner and Arch is center left behind prominent tree.

Worked around for better light and angle of this fledge. Metadata time 1553.

Got down within sight of the 927 Nest for a check and looked like Zena (insert) on watch. Metadata time 1614.  

 Moved through Kerbs Cafe area without signs of any Red-tails. 927 Nest check from 5th Avenue wall at 74th Street and couldn't see anyone there from this angle. Didn't see any Red-tails soaring either. Metadata time 1621.

 While scanning for fledglings as I moved north parallel to 5th Avenue, I happened upon this cool dude who had brought his turtle into the Park for an outing. He said it was the first time he'd decided to try this. He said, "Looks like he really takes to being out here so I guess I'll be doing this more often."

An adult bringing his turtle to the park for an outing doesn't seem unusual at all in Central Park. In fact we find it lovely and might have a conversation about it. That is one of the grand things about NYC.  Most New Yorkers have a very wide continuum of behavior that we find perfectly acceptable if not downright delightful.  


Jeff calls this gentleman a cool dude for taking his turtle for an outing, as would many New Yorkers.  Though were he in many other parts of the country bringing his turtle out to enjoy the world would put him on many a small town's whacky radar forever.

 Turtle did appear to be enjoying himself. Chowing on leaves and making fast time along the ground without ever retreating into his shell.

Metadata time 1653.

 

A fledge flew onto a tree from flightpath out of NNE. Metadata time 1704.

Same fledge different angle from south of Glade Arch and across from a playground by 77th Street I think.

 Above 77th Street looking east to 5th Avenue. Fledgling is on thick limb upper right corner. Metadata time 1709.

 I was looking to see what that fledge was doing when another fledge zoomed in and landed in a low tree behind me.

It seemed tense and was busy looking around itself while I moved around trying o get the sun out of the lens. 

A flash of Blue Jay wings made it obvious why the fledge was on the move. Metadata time 1714. 

Photos and commentary in italics are by Jeff Johnson.  Unitalized commentary, mine.

 
Donegal,

Entered the Park from 86th Street and didn't hear or see any signs of the Red-tails until crossing by the west side of Glade Arch south of 78th Street. Heard a brief begging call to the east side of the little hill there. Fledgling upper left corner.  

Metadata time read 1547. 

 

To translate "military time", starting with 1300, subtract 1200.  What do you get?  1:00PM.  The time above in the previous paragraph?  3:47PM  Midnight is 2400.  And it starts back at 1 which is 1PM.

Fledgling is ESE of the stonework arch and doing some "patient" calls for food. I think it's the Mottled Belly female.

Walking a few steps due south and looking back toward the Glade Arch you can see the proximity of the fledgling to the stonework better in this frame. Fledgling is upper right corner and Arch is center left behind prominent tree.

Worked around for better light and angle of this fledgling. Metadata time 1553.

Got down within sight of the 927 Nest for a check and looked like Zena (insert) on watch. Metadata time 1614.

Moved through Kerbs Cafe area without signs of any Red-tails. 927 Nest check from 5th Avenue wall at 74th Street and couldn't see anyone there from this angle. Didn't see any Red-tails soaring either. Metadata time 1621.

While scanning for fledglings as I moved north parallel to 5th Avenue, happened upon this cool dude who had brought his turtle into the Park for an outing. He said it was the first time he'd decided to try this. He said, "Looks like he really takes to being out here so I guess I'll be doing this more often."

Turtle did appear to be enjoying himself. Chowing on leaves and making fast time along the ground without ever retreating into his shell.

Metadata time 1653.

 

A fledgling flew onto a tree from flight path out of NNE. Metadata time 1704.

Same fledge different angle from south of Glade Arch and across from a playground by 77th Street I think.

Above 77th Street looking east to 5th Avenue. Fledge is on thick limb upper right corner. Metadata time 1709.

I was looking to see what that fledge was doing when another fledge zoomed in and landed in a low tree behind me.

It seemed tense and was busy looking around itself while I moved around trying o get the sun out of the lens. 

A flash of Blue Jay wings made it obvious why the fledge was on the move. Metadata time 1714.  

In about two minutes the fledgling had enough and bulleted away to the NE. Metadata time 1716.

 It flew into some scrubby trees between 78th and 77th Streets by 5th Avenue.

It still seemed apprehensive though no Blue Jays pursued it. Got behind it for a close frame. Metadata time 1736.

 

 Over by the Glade Arch just below the SE corner a fledgling was clumsily hunting a squirrel. Almost at center frame, the squirrel was hamming it up for the camera while the fledgling was having trouble just staying balanced. Metadata time 1742.

I left the fledgling vs squirrel fiasco because almost right above this little drama another fledgling had flown into the scene. Just a few steps up the slope onto the stonework of Glade Arch I got a frame of the just arrived fledgling.

Close look and because its "small" and somewhat "pale" I think it's the Big Voice male fledge 3. Metadata time 1646.

Jeff, I agree this is the young tiercel of the group. He actually reminds me of Pale Male in size and configuration.  Also look at the angle of his brow over his eye.  It is very like Pale Male's brow. 

Count 6 photos above this one where there is a photo of one of the young formels in profile.  Compare the shape of her head with the shape of the fledgling's head above.  There is a difference.

(I won't elaborate as to the  difference I see as different people tend to see different things in this comparison.)

The best descriptive term I've found belongs to Francois Portmann, the created word- hawkier.  Does she or does she not look "hawkier"  than her brother?

Uncharacteristically "he" wasn't blowing the leaves off the trees with his vocalizing, so I moved out to scan for other Red-tail activity going due south of Glade Arch. Fledge 3 (unseen) was on the limb above and on the right far corner of the stonework. A fledgling flies in from the NE (blur top center).

 Close look at the fledgling who's just put her main gear down on a small tree. SSW of Glade Arch. Metadata time 1804.

 Does this young formel's eye remind anyone else but me of a mature formel of long standing in Manhattan?
 
Look carefully at the face of the above hawk. She has the "hawkier" look of a female.  She also has very large eyes.  Compare her eye size with that of the tiercel two photos above her.

Compare this fledgling's eye with that of her mother below.

 Photo courtesy of www.palemale.com
The photo of Zena and the eyasses above was taken on a very bright day so eye coloration is very different from the young formel in the shade of the tree she's perched in.  But compare the shape and size of Zena's eye with that of her daughter in the preceeding photograph.


I'll ask again does this young formel's eye remind anyone of a mature formel of long standing in Manhattan? It isn't Zena as you can see.

As I departed scene a fledgling took wing from a limb SE of Glade Arch. Metadata time 1809.

Hope to get back to the Park tomorrow. Just not being able to observe the fledglings on the 5th proves how rapidly they expanded their radius of activity. It seems they have moved out from the Kerbs Cafe area NNW toward the Cedar Hill and Dog Hill regions of the Park.

Jeff

 

Jeff, this is the time in fledgling's lives which can be the most frustrating for hawk watchers.  They haven't truly dispersed but then again they aren't nearly as easy to spot some days.  

 

You never know if you'll find them and delight in their progressing behavior and hunting prowess or whether it will be a frustrating dry day that makes you think you'll never see them again.  Don't let the dry days get you down, you've still got days of fledgling spotting ahead of you this season.

Happy Hawking!  Jeff has more on tap!

Donegal Browne

P.S. Let me know if you too see a similarity to another Manhattan formel in the eyes of Pale Male's daughter.