Trooper, the Sick Fledgling, Update 6 for July 25 PART 1 OF JEFF JOHNSON'S OBSERVATIONS

 Photo courtesy of www.palemale.com
Trooper, the sick fledgling, roosts for the evening.  
            (Why Trooper?  Because she IS a trooper!)

And here are Jeff Johnson's photos and commentary on Trooper's day of July 26.  Be prepared, though she'd looked some better earlier, she really is still quite frail.   

Her condition is very worrisome still.

 Photographs of Central Park Hawks and italicized commentary by Jeff Johnson.


Donegal,
Today was a checkered result of hope and realization. I hadn't planned on spending most of the day in the Park but as with all things Red-tail I 'm beginning to understand that they have they own schedule.  Managed to get to the Park  by 1330 and entered from the 86th Street 5th Avenue.

Trooper/Ailing Fledgling was still in the tree we left her in last night at the back of the MET face. 1358 Metadata time.

Trooper seen close looks ill but still better than she did on the evening of the 23rd. 1358 Metadata time.

Trooper (upper right quadrant) in W MET tree scene. 1358 Metadata time

Looking south over 84th Street at the tree (right half) where last night's fledge was found, because I heard a Red-tail call from this area. 1415 Metadata time

Unable to find the other Red-tail I proceeded down 5th Avenue into the 79th Street entry and caught a hint of red in a tree above the Three Bears only t0 be spoofed by the same reddish pigeon that fooled me last week. 

Time out for a bit of pigeon trivia.  I've read that genetically, red should be the dominant color of feral pigeons.  Looking at any urban landscape we know that isn't the case and no one, last I knew, has figured out just why that is? 

927 Nest check nobody visible. Day looks to be CAVU so all I need is to see soaring parents against a beautiful blue sky. 1454 Metadata time

 Working my way NW I check the Oreo Antenna from the arch just south of Cleopatra's Needle.with no joy. 1504 Metadata time

Back with Trooper at the rear of  the MET. 1507 Metadata time 

 1549 Metadata time
Though Jeff thought there might be a bulge in her crop from eating the supplemental food that was left for her which may be true, but I'm concerned that she looks to be losing even more muscle mass.  This kid needs to eat more and have supplemental vitamin K. She needs to go to the "Horvath Rehab Spa".

Trooper/Ailing Fledgling decides to fly to the north side roof wall at the back of the MET. 1558 Metadata time 

Ailing fledgling on north wall seen close. 1559 Metadata time

I hope Jeff will forgive me for cropping this wide shot down so far,  but I needed a documentation photo as there is a difference in opinion as to what happened next and which fledgling this one was and which fledgling did the next activity.

This young hawk appears to be Trooper the sick fledgling.  Do others agree?

 And here is the wide shot.  Same slumped appearance.

 Ailing fledge hops down from the wall into a private water hole. 
 1602 Metadata time.
 (Many thanks to Lincoln Karim for supplying the private water hole.)

 Fledgling indulges herself by going beak first into her private pool. 1603 Metadata time.

Between  sometime after 4:02 and and sometime around 4:03 What happened?  

 Some other watchers identify this fledgling as Opera Star, the fledgling who isn't sick.

 Still others like Jeff, identify her as Trooper, the fledgling who is very ill from possible secondary poisoning.


Jeff's commentary for this photo reads- I missed the crucial frame but it still seems apparent from the cant of her head that this Red-tail is quaffing water. Yes, Red-tails do drink.  1603 Metadata time.

Yes they do drink, though for the longest time, and possibly still, the Red-tail literature, the scholarly writings created by PhD's questioned whether they did or not.   

Note the  time is still within the minute of 4:03pm.

Red-tail water dance. 1605 Metadata time.

And then she does this!   

From behavior alone, had I not ID'ed the hawk on the building, moments before,  I would say this is definitely not Trooper she just isn't up to it.  It absolutely has to be Opera Star.

 But unless all the watchers missed a switch, maybe they did, within that minute or we all misidentified the hawk on the roof in the first place and I don't think so after looking at the cropped roof photo again....  

Go ahead,  scroll back up again, we'll wait,  and look for yourself at the crop one more time.  That is Trooper!  Could there have been a switch which that many eyes looking on and missed? I don't think so.

 Red-tail surfing. 1605 Metadata time.

 Refreshed Red-tail. 1606 Metadata time.

 And with that lovely image in my eye, and the chance that exhaustion is making me miss something in this scenario,  I'm turning in.  The rest of the bath and the other half of the activities of the 25th will go up for your inspection later this morning.


If you are up for the day, continue on down and check out the doings of the Franklin Fledglings.


Then check back in for the second half "Who's the Hawk?"

The Franklin Institute Fledglings are out doing fledgling things and looking marvelously healthy, perching in fascinating spots,  and looking downright mischievous.  Nice photos! 

Check it out on the link below.
http://sunnydixie.blogspot.com/

Donegal Browne