Vince Of Fordham's New Girl Would Be Hardpressed to Pick a More Dangerous Spot for Fledglings

Photo by Chris Lyons

Here is the new nest of Vince of the Fordham University Campus in the Bronx/NYBG and his New Girl.

The nest is over looking a street, as most building nests in NYC are.

This one does have a little railing to help keep the nest intact which is nice.

 Photo by Chris Lyons
What isn't nice is what the fledglings will have to clear before they get to a real tree or other green space of any note.

Photo by Chris Lyons

 Here is a note from a very concerned Chris Lyons who photographed the nest site and who has been a chief watcher this area's hawks in the Bronx for many years.

 

I hope this gives you some idea of the situation--these are all taken from inside the campus--the nest is at the far upper right-hand window of that apartment building with the fake columns on the top floor.   It's six stories up.  To safely fledge, the eyasses would have to reach this large oak on the other side of Webster--if they undershoot, they're on the street, and if they overshoot, they're on the Metro North tracks, with no way for anybody to reach them quickly.  If they end up on the ground, in the tiny sliver of parkland between Webster and the tracks--well--people who hang out there are mainly nice, but probably know nothing about hawks.  On my way to lunch, I often see this guy exercising his three playful energetic pit bulls there.  Maybe they'd just be curious if they saw a young hawk on the grass, but curiosity doesn't just kill cats.    

In one picture, you can see a bit of a tail sticking up, but I have not seen much activity thus far. (Photo directly above,tail is center in nest. DB) Most of the time, you can't see a hawk--I will explore other viewing options later on. 

So it's still weeks before we know if the eggs will hatch.  It occurs to me that if the female really likes this nest, she may not be deterred by the eggs not hatching--like all those failed attempts on 5th Ave.   My hope is that the eggs do hatch, and that it can then be arranged for the eyasses to be removed, and possibly re-released on the campus, where the parents could find them.  The NYBG probably wouldn't be a good idea, since the Great Horned Owls are there (well, one of them, and she's probably none too fond of Red-tails right about now).  

Chris is right about the NYBG not being the best option, particularly as I've gotten word that there is a male to go with the female GHO nesting there these days.

Red-tailed Hawk parents do find fledglings who "magically"
appear begging heartily in unexpected places.

"Ziggy", the fledgling of Charlotte and Pale Male Jr, who had originally been grounded on a city street during morning rush hour, was "found" by her parents after being placed in Central Park after a two week sojourn with the rehabbing Horvaths.
 
Donegal Browne