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.

Pale Male and Octavia's Fledglings Meals, the Fordham Hawks, Isolde and Norman's Fledgling Gets Mobbed, Francois Portmann and the Thompkins Square Red-tails

Photo http://www.palemale.com/

As usual Pale Male, the Monarch of Central Park, keeps a calm eye on the Central Park fledgling situation. 

Andy Andrews reports that all is going well with the youngsters and Pale Male was seen delivering a rat and two pigeons to his progeny today.

Photo by Robert Schmunk

 One of Isolde and Norman's fledglings checks out the Robins that has been mobbing her today.

For more news on the Morningside Park Hawks of the Cathedral nest go to http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

For those who missed the June 19th Fordham Redtailed Hawk Update from Chris Lyons, plus a follow up of today's update,

I'm sure all of them have left the nest by this point, but I had been unable to find out where any of them were, or if they'd survived the dangerous leap from that apartment building on Webster.  
This morning, coming in to work, I heard begging calls from a tree alongside the path coming in from Fordham Road, by the library.   I looked up and saw a young Red-tail being fed by an adult.   Just one. 

I don't think this youngster could fly across the tracks, but my guess is that he or she followed the treeline in that little strip park on the other side of the tracks, until he or she reached the north side of Fordham Rd., at which point the crossing would be much easier.   And still pretty perilous, but obviously successful. 

Possible the others are still on the far side of the tracks.   We'll see.

I won't have any time to look for them today, but I'll try tomorrow.

Today's, June 27th, Fordham Red-tailed Hawk Update from Chris Lyons--
Sightings have been scarce this week, but there are at least two fledglings on the campus now.   I'd give a lot to know how they got here.   Rich Fleisher says he's seen two adults together since one was found dead on the Metro North tracks, so it's unclear whether Blanche lost her mate and got a new one, or if this was a completely different adult Red-tail who was killed.

At some point, hopefully, I can at least figure out how big the family is now.  

Chris

As many of you will know, the second Fledgling has come off the Thompkins Square Park Nest.  

And a note from chief watcher of the Thompkins Square Hawks for many years, Francois Portman in response to some questions of mine...

2nd fledge yesterday, the 24th,
both fledges are around the nest area and getting food delivered,
so far all good,
greetings,
francois

 And a link with more photos and details about Shaft's rescue-

http://evgrieve.com/2014/06/baby-hawk-down.html


Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

Samantha Browne-Walters...Midafternoon at the Cathedral Nest

Photo by Samantha Browne-Walters                                St. Andrew and the empty nest.

Daughter Sam hopped on the subway and arrived up at the Cathedral Nest a little after 3PM.  There wasn't a hawk in sight.  (But this is my favorite view of the nest.)  

She traversed the area, checking all the favorite perches, and no luck.  There wasn't even any begging going on.  Either everyone had eaten recently or more likely Isolde was out of fledgling sight, hunting, and the big three were snatching a wee nap in her absence to be able to beg all the louder when she reappeared.

Photo by Samantha Browne-Walters

With the dearth of hawks, Sam took note of the construction going on at St. Johns.  Back in the day the nest overlooked the physician parking lot for the hospital on the other side of the street.

Photo by Samantha Browne-Walters 

Here's a little peek into the construction site of what will become an apartment building.  It isn't clear just how the structure will affect the nest but several watchers have commented that this will be the last year for this particular nest location.  We shall see.  

                           Never underestimate a Redtail.

Sam continued to scour the area without luck and then hopped back on the subway disappointed.

        http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Rob Schmunk had better luck in the early evening.  
Click the link above for more!

Stella Hamilton visited Central Park this evening to check on Pale Male and Company but I haven't received her report as yet.  When it comes in you'll be the first to know.

Happy Hawking!
D.B.

How Can Isolde Possibly Feed and Care for Three Fledglings Without Norman? (Third post of the day.)

Photo by Robert Schmunk
                        Isolde monitors the situation.

I have received any number of emails from people extremely concerned about how Isolde, the formel at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine nest, will be able to feed and keep watch over her three newly fledged youngsters without her mate Storm'n Norman to help.  

Norman is currently in rehab with the Horvaths and will continue to be for 5 or 6 more days.

First off  let me say, the world is a dangerous place.  And sometimes bad things happen to young hawks even with both parents in attendance.

That said, barring bad luck, of any formel in the city Isolde is probably one of the females best equipped to pick up the slack of caring for her young without the help of her mate for a week.

How's that?

   Photograph by Donegal Browne
 Tristan, left,  and Isolde, right, in 2007-A comparison of size.

First off Isolde is a very very big girl.  

Tristan, thought to be Pale Male's son, was about Pale Male's size and Pale Male doesn't look all that much smaller than his mates, right?

Well look at the difference in size between Tristan and Isolde.  

Isolde is a very large, very strong Red-tailed Hawk.

We don't know Isolde's age exactly but she is over ten years old.  She is in her prime physically.

Isolde is an extremely competent huntress.  Back in the day when she first took Norman on, occasionally while she was sitting the eggs, he'd show up his crop stuffed to maximum size to "guard the nest" without bringing Isolde a meal.  She would give him the dirtiest of looks,  fling herself off the nest and into the air to hunt for her own supper.

Norman being a young dope, would look stunned and confused. His job was guarding the nest, repelling invaders, duking it out with all comers.  Whatever was Isolde doing?  He'd look at the nest and then look at Isolde flying away.

What to do?  Eventually he'd decide he was supposed to sit on the eggs.

And before long, Isolde would return having hunted for herself and eaten in no time at all so she could return to the nest and make sure Norman wasn't screwing up somehow yet again.

But, you ask, just how is Isolde going to hunt for four?  

Isolde is an extremely competent and skillful huntress.  She knows how to get down to business.

One of the things an experienced formel does while sitting up there on the nest day after day, hour after hour, is, she watches prey patterns.  She knows who goes where and when and how.  She has thousands of images of prey patterns all neatly filed in her head to be used in hunting once she is back in the game and hunting for the fledglings.

Isolde will be using that information to good effect for the next week and thereafter.

Isolde also knows her territory inside out.  She's been there for years and years and years. 

 She also knows where the fledglings will likely be at any given stage of their development.  

Plus Gabriel on top of the Cathedral is one of the absolute best hawk perches in the city to see anything she cares to.  

To say nothing of all the levels available  by using the other extant perches on the  Cathedral to watch prey and the kids both.

Besides as one reader pointed out....

Photo by Donegal Browne
You never know.  There just might be the spirit of a fierce indomitable little hawk called Tristan, to help her out in a pinch.

(This is the third post today. Keep scrolling down if you haven't caught them all.)

Happy Hawking...
Donegal Browne
P.S.  Samantha informs me she is heading uptown today to check on Isolde and the little ones just to make sure all is going as it should.

Flash the Third Eyass is Off Pale Male's Nest plus Why Was Stormin' Norman, the Male at the Cathedral, Dead and Now He's Alive?

Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Stella Hamilton reports that the third eyass has fledged off Pale Male and Octavia's Nest!!!

 Stella's report will be posted as soon as I excise it from my email...but in the meantime...

Sally of Kentucky asked, I paraphrase, what is the deal with Norman, Isolde of the Cathedral Nest's mate.  First we hear that he was dead and now he seems to be back.

First off though, before we get to that, Rob Schmunk posted an update on how Norman is doing.  A few days ago he was found grounded.  He was weak and very thin.  Off he went to the Horvath's wonderful care at WINNOR.   

Norman had an infection which was keeping him from eating.  As of yesterday Rob reports news from the Horvaths, that Norman is much better as he is capable of taking on whole prey at a meal.  Though he still needs to get his stamina back so he'll be staying on another week at WINNOR.

(And as wildlife rehabilitators may not be paid for their services and exist on  donations, here is the address if you'd like to lend a financial hand for all the wonderful service the Horvath's do for wildlife and Norman in particular. Tell them Norman says thank you.

WINORR, 
202 N. Wyoming Avenue
N. Massapequa, N.Y. 11758)

Now back to Sally's question, and the Norman dead/Norman alive issue.

After the hurricane that hit New York City, a hawk was found dead in Isolde and Norman's territory.  Isolde had been seen but Norman had not been so it was assumed that the dead hawk was Norman.

Let me also say that Norman's coloration and type of physique are relatively common in Red-tailed Hawks.  I always identified Norman by his behavior, the fact he was in the territory during breeding season and was hanging out with Isolde plus his personal idiosyncrasies.

When attempting to figure out if one of a pair has died and a new mate arrived, Norman's common plumage was no help. Nor the fact that of course a new mate would be in the territory and familial with Isolde.  

What made Norman or actually Stormin' Norman identifiable was his breakneck no holds barred bring 'em ALL ON behavior.

So  when breeding season was warming up, a hawk with common plumage showed up in Isolde's company.  As the assumption was that Norman was dead, the next assumption was that Isolde had just chosen a new mate who looked similar to Norman.

But some of us began to realize that Isolde's "new mate" behaved very much like her old mate Norman.  For instance, Tristan Isolde's previous mate was the perfect experienced Dad.  He always did the last feeding of the day so Isolde got a break.  He'd bring food and stay awhile.  He and Isolde would watch the eyasses together for awhile some days.  Tristan would often be visible keeping watch on the territory from across the street from the nest.  Tristan was a very calm stealth hunter much like Pale Male.

Norman on the other hand was a young boffo hawk who liked a good fight.  His hunting technique was more of a scare all the pigeons up in the air and see if he could grab one.  Then he'd come by the nest and almost literally throw prey in on a fly-by.  Then he'd disappear to go patrol the perimeters of  the domain again.  

Now Norman has settled down to some extent, for instance, if you look at the above picture you'll note that Norman has a feather on his beak which may mean he actually prepared the prey before delivering it but he still acts like Norman.

  Many hawks, and Norman is no exception, tend to favor certain perches within their territory, personal hunting behaviors, and favorite roosts.

After mulling over the look and behavior of the current haggard mated with Isolde, it is a case of... he looks like Norman, he acts like Norman, I'm reasonably sure it is Norman, therefore  I'm calling him Norman.

Tomorrow, Wednesday , we're trying for updates as they happen from the field from Samantha Browne-Walters at the Cathedral Nest.  

With Isolde attempting to wrangle and feed three youngsters on her own, Sam decided she should go uptown and make sure all is well with them.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

Fledges, Fledges, Fledges! Plus the 30 Year Old Red-tail Lives On at the Raptor Trust!

Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk  http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Rob Schmunk, long time watcher of the Isolde and Norman at the Cathedral at St. John the Divine nest overlooking Morningside Park, reports the second hatched eyass has fledged.  For more go to http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Hawkwatcher Anthony Timens sent a FLASH on the run in Central Park  that  there has been a fledge from Pale Male and Octavia's nest on 927 Fifth Avenue!

And Bon Bon reports two fledges at Washington Square!

Photo courtesy of NYTimes
Remember the banded 27 year old Red-tailed Hawk that was 

Picked up on a rural road and ended up being rehabbed at 

The Raptor Trust?  Betty Jo of California wrote The Trust

and inquired how she was doing.  

 Donna,

 I thought you'd like to see this.  Isn't this great--that old lady is still alive and is benefiting young Red-tails.  We can sure thank the person who picked her up off the road.

And it is wonderful news.  This Red-tailed Grande Dame is still kicking and helping Red-tailed Hawk orphans. 

 Here's the news from The Raptor Trust. 

Hello Betty Jo,

 Thanks for asking about the 27 year old female 

redtail. She is now  30 (!) and doing well.   

She just didn't have the stamina for life 

in the wild. So she was not releasable after rehab.
So she stayed with us and is just fine .  

She even has a purpose in life.  


She fosters and "big sisters" the orphaned red tails

that we get each summer, teaching them red tail 

language and how to catch mice.


They seem to adore her, sitting near to her
all the time,  when they're not practicing flying
in the large flight chamber.


  I agree that the fact that Pale Male 

is still alive is a miracle.   
I cross my fingers every time I think of him




  Best
regards,
Diane Soucy
 The Raptor Trust






  

A NEW Francois Portmann Thompkins Nest Video, and THREE at the Cathedral Nest!

Photo by Francois Portmann   http://fotoportmann.com/birds/

The Thompkins Square formel shelters her three eyasses from the sun.  She appears to have the knack for motherhood, or is an experienced Mom.

Dad Red-tails on the other hand, upon seeing the eggs brooded over time are  driven into a hunting frenzy by their hormones and, at least it appears, must learn other fathering skills by watching over time.   And pairs appear to work out their own double parenting system.   Tristan always did the last feeding of the day while Isolde took a break, often  atop a building open to the sky.  

Pale Male on the other hand seldom if ever feeds, but is quite partial to sitting on eggs and eyasses for as long as his mate will let him.  He also fully prepares the prey to be eaten before presenting it. 

On the other hand, the formel of the previous Southern Central Park pair , Charlotte, liked to prepare her own prey.  She also refused stiff prey. Pale Male Jr.  once appeared on the nest with a rather stiff pigeon.  Instead of taking it and flying off to eat it.  Charlotte looked utterly disgusted and flew off to hunt for herself.  Junior stood there with the prey watching her go, shoulders slumped.

 You'll note in Francois Portman's truly delightful new video of the Thompkins Square Park pair coming up further down the page, that stiff prey are perfectly acceptable to everyone on that nest.

Francois said...
 Here is a new video from the nestCam:
First, the tircel (at left) tries his feeding skills, 
then the matriarch takes over and demonstrate how it's done!
enjoy
francois
(Watch the formel's expression and body language as the Tiercel attempts to feed.  DB.)
http://youtu.be/anB_gdsA8AQ

 photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk
And indeed, there are the usual three eyasses for the Divines, Isolde and Norman, after all! 
Check it out.   
Isolde still takes her evening break but it doesn't appear that Norman feeds the eyasses during it. 
 Not surprising actually.
 Norman's full name is Stormin Norman as he still focuses and has from the beginning on firm territorial boundaries and the harrassing of interlopers.
 Go!
http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

 Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

Isolde Feeds at the Cathedral Nest, Franny the Sandhill Crane Bugs Out, as Have the Black-chinned Hummingbirds

Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk at
http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Isolde, of the St. John the Divine Cathedral nest, feeds one of the two eyasses which have been sighted so far.  There is still a possibility that a third eyass, who would be the smallest,  may still be in the depths of the nest.  Time will tell.

 I was under the weather for several days and so did not check on Franny the Sandhill Crane, who was on the nest we've been watching.  Well when I went to look yesterday, Franny and her colts had strode off while I wasn't looking.  

Sandhill Crane colts are ready to leave the nest after only a few days at which time they take off walking after their parents, learning about which foods to eat.

If you take a few steps east and turn round, this is what you see.
 

 A blue sky and fluffy clouds float in a stream...

                   Swallows feast on insects overhead.

Now wouldn't flying be grand fun on a summer's day?

                      Yellow Warblers hunt in the thicket.

And a little further down the road, is the wet meadow where we'd originally seen a second crane nest but the grass became to long to observe it.  But there are some interesting things going on here...let's crop this down a little.

 The pond is in the left half of the photo.  Now look just to the right of pond.  There is a goose who has popped her head up, likely on a nest though a few Geese today had goslings.

Now look at the warm brown spot in the grass on the far right.

I think that might be a crane lying in the grass with colts. There is the larger center brown splotch, and up right and up left are two smaller warm brown splotchs.

And then there is the very odd thing that I cannot identify at all in the photograph.  Perhaps you can?

 What are those white things in the center of the photo...my apologies for the blur.  Whatever it is, it is far away and very odd.  Any suggestions?

I then began the drive back to town and just as I passed the place where I had seen the two Red-tailed Hawks with faint belly bands perched a Red-tail flew above the car.

Not much of a belly band.  She's taunting me.  I never could find their nest.

Even this close, not much of a belly band at all.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

FLASH!!!! Rob Schmunk Reports There Is A Hatch at St. John the Divine!!

 Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk


                           Isolde feeds!
Rob has observed Isolde of the Cathedral Nest making feeding motions.   For the full scoop click Rob's link below.
http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

Happy Hawking!
D.B.

Francois Portmann's Thompson's Square Park Red-tails Report plus What Other Formel Does Octavia Look Like?

Photograph courtesy of Francois Portmann  http://www.fotoportmann.com/birds
                               Sunday Morning

Just in from Francois Portmann, a  gorgeous shot of the Thompkin's Square Park Red-tails. 
(I just love it when the tiercel stares fixedly at the eggs.)

Francois reports that the female is on the left.  And as a field mark for Dora, take note that one of her center tail feathers is so pale as to be almost white.

Chris is on the right,  is smaller of course, and lighter colored.  In comparison to the formel, at least in this shot, he looks like he might be one of the quick males like Pale Male or Pale Male Jr.

 Francois reports:

There is a  storm right now in the tri-state, heavy rain, wind gusts in the 30+ knots and dropping to freezing temp overnite, tough time on the nest... 
Greetings.
Francois

 Keep your fingers crossed for them and for all the other nesting birds as well.  For those who have nests near by, you may want to check in on them tomorrow morning just in case someone needs help.  It sounds like the kind of night where gusts could cause a building collision and a possible broken wing.

 Photo courtesy of palemale.com/
Do you think that Octavia looks similar in some ways to another formel in NYC?  Not so much her coloring perhaps but her head structure and, well ....her eyes in particular.


Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne

FLASH!!!! In from Jackie of Tulsa by way of Franklin Hawks Facebook!!! Has T3 Arrived? NOW WITH AN ADDENDUM

Photos by Dinko Metic
He has a brown tail, light eyes, can fly like a demon, and is showing off for Franklin Mom.  Pale Male also was a Brown-tail his first breeding season, though as his mate was also barely more than a youngster herself, there were quite a few wrinkles to be ironed out.  In this case, Franklin Mom already knows her stuff.

New Guy left, Franklin Mom right,

In From Jackie of Tulsa: 

 Facebook text/photos by Dinko Mitic .  

"He flies high and does all kinds of dives. I've seen him more active than Mom and T2 ever. They seem to be more efficient or know where they are going, this one seems to be showing off." 

 "He's young. He's fast. He flies circles around Mom. He's already at home in her territory. Could he be T3?"

I saw him flying around the Barnes, Free Library, the FI. Then Mom emerged from somewhere around Rodin and he went after her. They flew in close circles, I heard them both screech (over the Greek parade on the Parkway!). Then they flew together towards the football field on 24th and Parkway." 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FranklinHawkaholics/ 

He could be T3!  He is definitely showing off his stuff for Mom and Mom has not thrown him out of the territory.  A Brown-tail with an experienced mate, as Mom is, can be a dynamite Dad if his hunting skills match his flying skills...and he takes his cues from Mom about nest breaks and food provisioning for her on the nest now and for the eyasses later.

Young Storm'n Norman, also an exuberant flyer,  who became Isolde's last minute mate at the St. John's nest at the Cathedral in NYC after the loss of Tristan, was dynamite at protecting the territory and his flight skills were grand even if  he was a touch lacking at first when it came to hunting for Isolde and calming down long enough to actually sit on the eggs so Isolde could take breaks.

But he showed up willing at the last minute, with breeding season pressing hard, just as the New Guy has in this case, and though Isolde had to glare sometimes and clean up his manners, they were successful their first season together!  And as Storm'n Norman was young and always looking for a fight he expanded  the borders of their territory and reduced the appearance of  unwelcome visitors near the nest. 

NEW ADDENDUM Answers to Sally of Kentucky's relevant questions concerning the replacement of T2 at the Franklin Nest.

Was on the Franklin FB page and everyone is wondering if Mom will stay in her territory. A few think she has to leave to find a new mate.  I think a new male may come in.  Can you recall  what time of the season Rose lost her mate and Isolde lost Norman?  And is Norman still around or are we on another male? Something tells me we are...It is so hard to follow. Just curious what you remember
 
Absolutely Mom will stay in her territory!  Isolde did and so did Rose.  There are always floaters in the market looking for just this sort of occasion to be Johnny on the Spot when an opening appears.

I do remember details regarding Isolde's remating with Storm'n Norman.  It was getting very near to breeding season when Tristan disappeared but Isolde kept searching and searching for him, protecting the territory from falcons the whole time, then searching some more.  It was only a day or two before copulation ordinarily was to begin when Isolde appeared with Norman.  I was up at the Cathedral looking for her , when though she still wore the horribly stressed expression she had worn since  Tristan disappeared, Isolde and Norman flew in and began to copulate on an air conditioner right above my head.  The reproductive imperative is very strong and I cannot imagine that Franklin Mom won't have a mate when she is ready to produce eggs this year.  And now that the New Guy has appeared and Mom is tolerating him in the territory, I'm thinking bonding may well have begun for this season for Mom.

No Norman is no longer around and Isolde has a new mate.  Norman disappeared during Hurricane Sandy and a dead Red-tail was found by workers in the area.

I've often thought that as Norman was always one to put up a fight against adversity, laying low wasn't in his repertoire,  that he didn't take proper shelter during Sandy, but rather, as always, was standing guard and went down fighting.

D.B. 
(Previous post of the day follows.) 

FLASH! Fifth Avenue Second Eyass Fledges and A Roundup of NYC Red-tail Nest News!

Photo by Robert Schmunk
The beautiful Isolde of the St. John the Divine Cathedral nest with dinner for the "kids"
  
Chief watcher Robert Schmunk writes-
 Everyone in the cathedral hawk family was presented and accounted for Tuesday evening, with the children all getting fed, and some posing for pictures.
 More....
http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/

From Jules Corkery, a chief watcher of  Andromeda and Atlas-

Tonight, Andromeda lured the 2 babies to the trees inside the tennis courts probably for both dinner and roosting for the night.  She is such a good mother. Haven't seen Atlas in a while so will try to spot him before we leave town for a few days. 
 
Jeff Kollbrunner's update on Mama and Papa of Briarwood

Mama and Papa's three have fledged their nest in Briarwood. One fledged last Wednesday June 5th and the other two together on Saturday June 8th in the morning. They are all doing very well. The last couple days the first fledgling is flying between the building his nest is located and the building rooftop across the street. I hope to post some images of the fledglings this evening on my Facebook page JKNatureGallery.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/JKNatureGallery/351444228237283  

From Peter Richter, the hawkwatcher with a close eye on the Queens Hawk scene.
 
Hello All,

Just a quick update on the Queens nests:

St.John's University had 2 successful fledges and one that needed rehab. The rehabilitated female fledgling was released this past Sunday and is being monitored by the university staff.

Astoria Park has 2 successful fledges

Flushing Meadow Park had one successful fledge and one that needed rehab. The rehabilitated male was released this past Sunday and I will visit tomorrow to update its status.

There were no nests built this year at the IDCNY Building in Long Island City or the New York Hospital of Queens in Flushing.
I haven't had a chance to visit the Woodside nest in a few weeks, but saw 2 eyasses in the nest last month. I visited Randall's Island last Saturday but a concert on the island kept me from seeing any fledges in the area.

Regards,
Peter

 
Photo courtesy of palemale.com 

"Two" did a stealth fledge without an audience today. And "Three" is now solo on the nest.  She is still hop flapping and it likely won't be long before she's down killing sticks and rocks in Central Park with her siblings.

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne