The nest at Fordham with eyasses of a previous season.
Chris Lyons, who has watched Rose, first with her mate Hawkeye, and after Hawkeye's death by secondary rat poison, has watched she and her now mate, Vince, continues his search for the missing Rose.
Chris wrote:
One of the people I contacted yesterday was Bobby Horvath, and he said he hadn't been notified about a female he banded having been found dead or ailing. There's no guarantee that she'd be found if she died, or that the one who found her would know who to contact--but she is banded, and that may eventually yield information.
I'm hoping somebody will have seen her alive, but from what you say, that is sounding less likely. Rich Fleisher hasn't seen her lately, but he hasn't had much chance to look. He did see one hawk near the nest some days back, but that could have been Vince. Over at the Botanical Garden, a sick hawk was found recently, but no mention of it being banded--I'm trying to get more info. It will take some time.
I would hate to think it was poison. Call me a romantic, but I'd rather she died in fierce battle with a a rival female, or a Great Horned Owl, or got hit by lightning, or anything else, anything. I hate it that we do this to them. It's a bad way for them to die. I don't even put out poison for the mice in our apartment anymore.
Chris, I completely and utterly concur. According to STOP THE POISON activists in NYC, there are numerous towns in California that have seen the light and outlawed rodenticides. We all need to work to educate the public that sanitation is the only weapon that actually works to stop infestations of rodents.
And poisons are just not an option! Particularly non-species specific poisons which injure or kill wildlife, pets, and even children every year. That's too large a price to pay for being slovenly when a little care would nip burgeoning rodent populations in the bud.
Also, I received several emails from readers who are unfamiliar with the Fordham site. Therefore, a few words about the Fordham Nest ...
The Fordham site is likely the most fledgling friendly building nest in the city. The overhang protects the hawks from a good bit of weather and trees as you can see, are within feet of the building.
Those handy trees at nest height, make the fledge of these eyasses far more similar to the fledgling environment of hawks in a non-urban nest while having the shelter of a building to protect the family earlier in life.
With a short flight hop, the youngsters can "branch" within the trees. They rarely if ever get grounded and fly back and forth so frequently from the nest that it is difficult to tell whether the eyasses have already fledged or not as they so easily return to the nest.
More as it happens!
And don't forget the NYU HawkCam and chat are up...
http://www.livestream.com/nyu_hawkcam
Donegal Browne
So sorry to hear. We don't know her age, do we? Perhaps she is old and frail. I agree with Chris, ANYTHING would be better than poison. Thank you for keeping us in the loop.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know for sure Sally, but it does look kind of bleak for Rose.
ReplyDeleteRose was likely about 13, so not old and frail. She's been being watched for 11 or 12 years. She and her first mate Hawkeye appeared to be somewhat inexperienced... about urban nesting at any rate. They first chose a fire escape nest site. These sites often do not work out that well. More experienced hawks tend to choose sites other than fire excapes.