FLASH! Isolde of the Cathedral Nest Has Slipped Silently Away

 This evening I read with deep and dreadful sadness that one of the Grande Dames of New York City Urban Hawks, the  long time formel of the nest behind St. Andrew's elbow at the The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, former mate of Tristan and  until recently the mate of Storm'n Norman had slipped silently away in death without it being noticed.

http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

We watched Isolde for nigh on a decade and in that time she and her mates raised over two dozen eyasses.

   Photo Donegal Browne                        Tristan and Isolde 2006

Yes, Isolde was a big beautiful indomitable Red-tailed Hawk.

I would like to know when she disappeared so I will be comparing my photographs of her with the more current ones of the pair at St. Johns in hopes that I will be able to discover when she left us.   

One of Isolde's distinctive markings was the "drape" of her head color that went down her neck and onto her chest. She also had a "paint drip" belly band and almond shaped eyes.  Though over time her singular eyes became more common in NYC as she passed them down to her offspring.

Stay tuned.

Previous post of today is a Pale Male Fledgling update by longtime NYC hawkwatcher  Charmain Deveraux.  Next post up will be contributor Stella Hamiliton's latest update on Pale Male, Octavia, and their fledglings.