FLASH!!! Lincoln Karim's Companion on the Evening He Was Arrested Has Her Day In Court

As many of you may remember, when Lincoln Karim was arrested for the possession of Ginger Lima's remains, another longtime hawkwatcher was with him.  (We'll call her Ms. H for hawkwatcher.).  As you will also remember the charges against Mr. Karim were later dismissed by the court.  As Ms. H had  held the rat poisoned Ginger Lima momentarily on the evening in question the DEC felt she was implicated in something illegal. She was given a summons.

Today was Ms. H's day in court.  The judge after hearing that Ms. H had held Ginger Lima's body briefly on the evening in question asked, What did she do that was illegal? Did she kill the hawk?  No?  Then what?

As the DEC had no answer as to exactly what Ms. H. had done illegally, all charges against her were dismissed as well.

D.B.

The Count is Even-Mama and Papa of Briarwood Have a Double Hatch as Do Rosie and Bobby of Washington Square, plus Personal Parrot Names In the Wild, the Central Park Poison in February and the Leucisistic Grackle

 Mama of the Briarwood Nest, sleeps with her head tucked while two very young hawks sleep beneath her.

 Jeff Kollbrunner's capture from earlier in the day.  Look carefully and you'll see two heads.

Mama and Papa now have a confirmed hatch of two eyasses.  Though they often hatch two, sometimes there is a third and as we can't see down in the nest bowl, there may yet be another little one popping up in the days to come.

As some of you may not be familiar with Mama and Papa the bonded pair in Queens who have been together for nearly two decades I asked Jeff Kollbrunner, one of their chief watchers for a recap of their history.

Donna,

This is our nineteenth season observing Mama and Papa. After many years of following them we discovered their first nest in 2004, they had two fledglings that season. Each year since we have been able to locate their nest and observe them raise their young. In 2005, their nest and eggs located on an apartment building were destroyed by humans. A new nest was quickly rebuilt at a second location on the same complex and they were able to produce another egg. Unfortunately, their saga did not end easily that season when at six weeks old their eyass was removed from the nest due to registered complaints to the proper authorities. Mama was captured and banded during this process while attempting to defend her nest and Papa injured his wing defending his nest. The eyass was taken to a rehabilitator outside of NY for conditioning and a foster training process. Requests were made to have the fledgling returned to the area once his foster training was completed, the rehabilitator did not comply. In 2006, their nest was destroyed once again by humans this time just prior to laying their eggs. Fortunately, they found an alternate location away from this building complex, they rebuilt another nest quickly and within one day of completing the new nest produced two eggs and raised two healthy fledglings. Since then life has become a bit more routine for Mama and Papa as they typically have two to three eggs and fledglings per season. In 2009 at about three weeks of age one of their two eyasses perished in the nest during a period of extreme weather. In 2010, two of the three eyasses perished both on a Monday one week apart. One of them was predated most likely by an owl, the second perished from frounce and the third fledgling survived.

Since 2004 Mama and Papa in eight nesting seasons have produced 17 eggs with 14 successful fledges. They generally produce two eggs and two fledglings each season, so it is possible that Mama and Papa may have produced up to 36 fledglings over the last eighteen nesting seasons. The NYCA Hawkcam made its debut in 2007 allowing us a window to observe this pair of Red-tailed Hawks bring new life into the world.

All the best, Jeff

Thanks Jeff!  

Though Jeff didn't mention it in his recap, during the episode in which Papa had an injured wing, though he could feebly fly, Papa couldn't readily hunt for himself.  Therefore when Mama got out of rehab, she hunted for Papa so he had enough to eat while his wing finished healing. 

They are also one of two pairs in NYC who have been observed "kissing".  (The other pair was Charlotte and Pale Male Jr. whose territory was the southern portion of Central Park.)

Also though most Red-tailed Hawk literature will tell you that Red-tailed Hawks do not team hunt, Jeff has observed the behavior in Mama and Papa.  As I observed it in the rural hawks, Mr. and Mrs. M in Wisconsin.

NOW FOR THE SECOND DOUBLE NEST OF THE DAY

 These two eyasses tussle quite a lot.  While Rosie attempted to tear open one of the stiffest rats I've ever seen, First eyass beaked Second eyass flat to the nest.  But Second got feisty.

Second then pulled herself up and gave First some very determined pecks in the head.  First backed off.

Then when Bobby arrived on the nest they both became all attention.

Next up More of the Saga Concerning Ginger Lima and the Central Park Precinct Rat Bait Box from the New York Times.

 palemale.com 

The red-tailed hawk Lima, photographed last November, was found dead on Feb. 26. She was once the mate of the much-followed raptor Pale Male.

By JAMES BARRON

Published: April 11, 2012

It had the makings of an avian mystery, albeit almost the opposite of that Hitchcockian one. Two red-tailed hawks were found dead, one in Central Park, one just outside. A third died 24 hours after being taken out of the park and sent to a wildlife rehabilitator because concerned park rangers could 

A sign warning of rat poison outside the Central Park police precinct.

Was it a whodunit? No, birders said on Wednesday, it was a whatdunit.

 MORE

                                                 Quicksilver knew it all the time.

The first study on parrots that proves that  they learn in the wild.  (Like that's a surprise but then there are those sticklers who insist on concrete data.) Alex the African Grey Parrot had already proved learning in captivity-- if just meeting a parrot who speaks in context hadn't convinced you. But the really nifty part of this study to my mind is that parrots in the study fledge off the nest with a personal "name".  And not only do they know their own "name"  but they also know their parent's names and hence in my opinion those of their siblings.  And can tell the others where they are going, for what reason, and if the other might like to go along.


Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed9A4HPdXgQ&feature=relmfu

Tired of all those insensitive to wildlife humans?  Some good news about people being sensible about cooperating  during nesting season from  Robin of Illinois-

"The Citizens Potawatomi Nation's FireLake Golf Course are respecting nature. When a Canada goose made her nest on the course it seemed like a peaceful place to call home until the golf carts drove past. She began avidly protecting her nest and eggs. Chris Chesser, CPN diretor of the golf course found a solution. They put up a temporary barrier fence so there is a place for both! "

 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150684381673802.406806.80215398801&type=1

FOR TWO PREVIOUS SEASONS WHEN THE GRACKLE FLOCK PASSED THROUGH A LEUCISISTIC GRACKLE WAS WITH THEM.  THE FIRST YEAR I GOT HIS PICTURE.  LAST YEAR I FAILED.  THIS YEAR I GOT HIS PHOTO--BUT JUST....

                    Note the white on the Grackle's head.

Donegal  Browne

DEC NECROPSY RESULTS FOR FOUR MANHATTAN HAWKS

                    Intrepid, the Riverside Mom

DEC NECROPSY RESULTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR MANHATTAN RED-TAILED HAWKS

The four red tailed hawks found deceased in and around Manhattan late February and early March 2012, were submitted for examination to the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Wildlife Health Unit.  Anticoagulant rodenticides were found as the primary cause of death in three of four birds.

DEC’s Wildlife Health Unit performs necropsies (animal autopsies) and diagnostic laboratory tests to identify the causes of sickness and death in New York State’s wild animals.  To improve public communication regarding these and other cases of interest, detailed reports and background information is now available on DEC’s website on the Wildlife Health Program webpage: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/81470.html.

        
            Thanks to Bobby Horvath and Katherine Herzog for the link.

               

    Today's regular post appears beneath this one.

Dongegal Browne

A HAWK SEASON OF DESPAIR- Four Gone in a Month

 Intrepid broods eggs.  Her three eyasses that season were accidentally poisoned on the nest by being fed a poisoned rat.

 Photo Donegal Browne

2011-Young Ginger Lima, recently deceased,  tends her eyasses fathered by Pale Male- photo courtesy of palemale.com

                
From Myisha Priest,  hawk watcher,  NYU professor,  and the host of a seminar that 

celebrated the wildlife of New York City --


                                    Donna,                                    
   I just read the news of Intrepid. Heartbroken. She was singular in her ability to persevere. Though I guess they all are, which is one of the reasons we love them. Remember when her beak was broken and she made it through the winter anyway?
  What a sad hawk season. Violet, Lima, the Southside hawk and now Intrepid. Yet they say that grief is the price we pay for love...
 I send wishes for peaceful rest for those who are gone, wishes for better times for those who are here, and kind thoughts to the hawks and the tender (and bruised) hearts of those who love them.

 Myisha your note is beautiful.  Thank you.  I am afraid that my heart, among many others, has been bruised very badly this time around.

There have been times of despair before for those who love and attempt to succor New York City's urban hawks but the last year, which includes the long drawn out travail of Violet due to  human failure, has been, I think, the darkest.

Though there is no proof and may never be, as the testing of the very common Red-tail Hawk for poison is low on the list of priorities for the financially strapped New York State Wildlife Pathology budget, the known evidence points to secondary poisoning as the cause of death in this  latest wave of unblemished beautifully feathered corpses.
 Poison is also arguably a possible vector in the disappearance of Pale Male's mate of many years, Lola.

Today I am at a loss as to what more we can do soon enough to help the now living survive.  For assuredly what we have done has not been enough to save those who are gone and my feeling is that only luck has allowed those who still live to continue their lives.

Education is slow.  Poison is fast.

If mature, city-savvy hawks such as Intrepid, and before her, Builder,  Athena, Hawkeye, Ginger Lima, and Lola to name a very few, have not found any clues to warn them away from the rats that killed them, there likely aren't any clues and the death toll will only continue. 

Can we find a strategy that works with the rapidity that poison does?   

Hawkeye of Fordham, mate of Rose and the father of many, many well fledged young died of poison.  Photo Donegal Browne

Photo Donegal Browne

Athena of the Triborough Bridge nest,  a mother for many seasons, died of  rodenticide secondary poisoning leaving a clutch of eggs.  Her mate Atlas attempted to hatch the eggs on his own, but with no one to hunt for him or spell him on the nest so he could leave to hunt and eat,  the eggs were sometimes unattended.  They never hatched.

 FROM NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Yet Another Red-Tailed Hawk Found Dead

• By Noreen Malone

It hasn’t been a good late winter for New York’s red-tailed hawk population. The first big news came when the first lady of New York’s hawks — Pale Male’s latest love interest — was found dead. Shortly thereafter, the body of another unidentified red-tailed hawk was found in Central Park. There was also a young hawk found dead in the park, which was mostly ignored outside of hawk watching circles.  But now, yet another  bird, this one a Riverside Park resident, has bitten the dust, bringing the recent death toll up to four.

 READ MORE

 Intrepid, Riverside Mom hunts.  Before she died, she had outlived a mate and three eyasses who had all died of poison.                                                      Photo Donegal Browne

EDUCATE AND ORGANIZE YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ABOUT SANITATION, RATS,  SECONDARY POISONING AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THE RAPTORS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

Thanks to Rachel Shriff for posting flyers about secondary poisoning and the dangers of second generation poisons in her Queens neighborhood.

In memory also of all the hawks unnamed, who have died of secondary poisoning and human negligence. 

Donegal Browne

Another Red-tailed Hawk Found Dead in Central Park and Good-bye to the Norfolk Botanical Eagles

 

Photo courtesy of palemale.com

 Zena, Pale Male's new mate, flies with dinner.  Let's hope she isn't partial to NYC rats.  

We do not know what killed Pale Male's mate Ginger Lima, nor do we know what happened to the most recent Red-tail found dead in the south end of Central Park on Sunday, but as I'm told both were found unblemished the suspicion of death by poison rackets up a notch.  Yes perhaps there might have been totally different causes of death that made both the hawks drop dead but it does raise more suspicion about poison.

Though we often put singular blame on New York City's parks for using rat poison, and the ensuing deaths of many other creatures which consume rats or carrion, keep in mind that many city buildings also place rat bait as well and some of those poisoned rats kill other creatures as well, including raptors.  They don't just hunt in the parks.  I've seen them take prey off streets with no green space in sight..

Whether the latest hawk deaths were by poison or not, past deaths have been  and we know rats are actually controlled by careful methodical sanitation not the supposed quick fix of poison.

New York City would go a long way in the  reduction of secondary poisoning, not just of Red-tailed Hawks but also beloved pets and sometimes even children by passing laws which require garbage to be put out on the street for pick up in rat proof containers.

Does your building lay rat bait? Find out. Talk to your neighbors about  better alternatives.  Or in the phrase used by many many different people over many many years who try to change entrenched but no-brainer unenlightened behavior-

 Educate, Agitate, Organize!



From the New York Times City Room Blogs


March 5, 2012, 4:54 pm

Red-Tailed Hawk Found Dead in Central Park

By JAMES BARRON

A red-tailed hawk was found dead in Central Park on Sunday, a week after the body of Lima — a companion of the much-watched red-tail Pale Male — was discovered under a tree.

A parks department spokeswoman said the hawk found Sunday was at the south end of the park, near Columbus Circle. It was not immediately clear whether it was a male or a female. Hawk-watchers say there had been a nest outside the park, not far from where the dead hawk was retrieved by Central Park Conservancy staff members, but it was not clear whether the dead hawk was one of the pair from that nest.

Read More... 

   From Sally of Kentucky, regarding the plight of the Norfolk Botanical Gardens Eagles--

What next, are they going to cut trees, or otherwise prevent eagles from nesting in the area? Are they going to poison them? Shoot or trap them? what about the hundreds of shorebirds in  the area and geese? Very sad...

 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/47037033923/

 

Julie Bonner

SAD NEWS for all fans:
Today I received a short letter from Senator Mark Warner, responding to my email to him outlining my fears for the Eagle nest at NBG. On my behalf he must have written to Norfolk Airport because he enclosed a copy of a letter dated Feb 26, 2012, which they sent back to him regarding my complaints. The letter does NOT look good for the eagles!! Sr. Warner also enclosed a copy of a letter dated Feb 3, 2012, that was signed by US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Dept of Agriculture, and VGDIF and addressed to The City Mgr of Norfolk (Marcus D. Jones). This letter is 3 pages long and I have not read its entirety yet - but here is what page.3 says :

"We strongly recommend that the City of Norfolk move forward by requesting the appropriate permit to enable the removal of the bald eagles nests at NBG, as outlined in the Airport's Wildlife Hazard Management Plan and requested the Airport in correspondence to the Garden in Nov 2011. The continued presence of the nests there is a liability and poses a significant risk to public safety and the safety of the eagles. Please note that the public safety threat goes beyond those on the aircraft to people living and working in the vicinity of the airport."

"A first step in this process is the application by the City (as landowner) to the USFWS for a permit that allows for the removal of the nest. To expedite this process, a copy of the application is enclosed for your use." 
"The DGIF also has a role in authorizing the nest removal, since the bald eagle is currently designated as a state threatened species. Ms. Becky Gwynn, regional Assistant Bureau Director for DGIF, will coordinate with your office as in that regard."

"We recognize that there are other attractants for eagles around the Airport, and are working with the operations staff there to develop a more comprehensive eagle management plan to discourage eagles from nesting on properties adjacent to the Airport. We also appreciate the educational opportunity that the EagleCam has provided to the public for so many years and are certainly interested in working with the City or other partners to provide similar opportunities at another, more safe location".

"If you have any questions or need more information, please feel to contact Scott Barras, USDA-Ws, at (804) 739-7739 or via email at scott.c.barras@aphis.usda.gov or Becky Gwynn at (804) 829-6720 or via email at becky.gwynn@dgif.virginia.gov

WHAT IS GOING ON?  DIDN'T WE WORK OUR HARDEST TO BRING THESE BIRDS BACK FROM THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION NOT SO VERY LONG AGO?  

Donegal Browne

The Horvaths Talk to The Village Voice. Does Pale Male Ever Make a Second Choice Nest?

FROM THE VILLAGE VOICE--

Q&A

Wildlife Rehabilitators Bobby and Cathy Horvath Talk About Their Work In the City And Famous Hawks

By Esther Zuckerman Sun., Mar. 4 2012 at 12:41 PM

Courtesy of the Horvaths

​On Monday the New York Daily News reported the on the death of Lima, New York City celebrity hawk Pale Male's mate. Often when stories -- both happy and sad -- of New York's leash-less animals pop up, we hear from wildlife rehabilitators Bobby and Cathy Horvath. The two have been rehabilitators for 25 years, but they work as volunteers. They both hold down what you might call day jobs -- he as a fireman and she as a veterinary technician -- while living with a host of animals in need of care. Currently, Bobby told Runnin' Scared, they have 50 or so animals in their home. We called up the married couple to get their reaction to recent news about Lima and other high-profile New York birds, and to learn more about what it's like caring for the city's wild creatures. 

Tell me a little bit about your work as wildlife rehabilitators in New York City?
Cathy: Well we live on Long Island, and we're volunteers. We've been rehabilitators for 25 years. We're licensed by the state and the federal government. We get calls all the time for birds of prey in the city so we travel back and forth. We were there trying to get Violet from the NYU building. That was a really long process. And not just from Manhattan. We go to Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens. We travel around.
What was your reaction when you heard about the death of Lima?
It was kind of a shock. They were just mating the day before she was found dead. It was shocking that she was dead.

 READ MORE--

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/03/wildlife_rehabi.php

Photo courtesy of Cathy Horvath

Some wildlife rehabilitators start early. Sadie Horvath at home with a red phase screech owl.

                                        Photo- Donegal Browne

AND IN ANSWER TO  RHONDA DE FARGE OF NEW YORK CITY'S QUESTION , "Did Pale Male ever make a secondary nest to give any of his mates another choice besides the nest site on 927 Fifth Avenue?"

Rhonda, 

 Pale Male  may have done it any number of times but one we do know about was in 2006  when he was observed putting a limited number of twigs in a niche on the Beresford Building. The Beresford is on the west side of the park where he and Lola tended to spend their mornings.

As far as we can tell, there was really never much of a question  whether any other site would be used.  Beyond the intermittent human intervention problems, 927 Fifth Avenue is one of the best, if not the best nest site in Manhattan, if not beyond. 

It certainly is the best site for hawkwatchers.  Not only are there long vistas in which to observe Pale Male and his mate coming into the nest, perching to hunt, fighting off intruders, keeping vigil,  or going to roost,  there are a tremendous number of comfort amenities for humans.

To list a few-

Park Benches- If you want to sit, oh those many hours observing during the hawk season,  you don't have to cart your own chair in when you come.

Food and Drink--Two snack bars, not more than a minute away. One with a roaring fireplace in winter.  And a full service white tablecloth restaurant-The Boat House, for those who'd like to splurge.

Restrooms-Three different sets, one each attached to the above mentioned food establishments. (Facilities can really be an issue at some nest sites.  You can bring your camp stool, your food, your drink, but a porta potty just doesn't fit in your back pack.)

Community--During the heat of  hawk season it has to be truly wretched weather not to find at least a few diehard watchers on the Hawk Bench who will pass on previous hawk observations of the day, new bird sightings in the park at large, and who'd been watching earlier in the day.

COMING SOON-  The amenities urban hawks appear to find important for nest placement!

Donegal Browne

Pale Male Up For Grabs! A Single Female on Sunday, A Pair of Hawks or Two Females on Monday??? What is going on?

Photograph courtesy of palemale.com

 The New Girl who appeared by noon on Sunday, February 26th, according to Lincoln Karim of palemale.com.

A report from a Central Park Hawkwatcher who spent Monday at the Hawk Bench attempting to figure out what was going on with Pale Male and company.

She said,

 Someone from the Parks Department allowed us to climb the fence and lay out flowers for Lima.  While we were on cedar hill, Pale Male circled cedar hill for awhile. It was as though he was looking for something. Later he ate a pigeon and he called the new mate to come eat. She didn’t come to him. Instead she flew by with another adult red tail hawk. We were puzzled!   Seen at the nest at least 6 times.                 


Hello Hawkwatcher--

Who was seen at the nest 6 times?  Pale Male?  Pale Male and the female?  Or I hope not- the new male (I'm presuming the hawk with the female is a male) and new female?




This time of year two females together just doesn't happen normally unless they are fighting each other.  Which I suppose is possible.  Could what you saw have been a chase?

Are you sure the female that was with the second hawk today is definitely the female that was offering herself to PM yesterday?
 
I'm concerned because if a bonded pair appears in Pale Male's territory they may attempt to take it away from him by force and could even possibly do it two against one.

But perhaps as Pale Male hasn't chosen a mate yet and he didn't attempt to run anyone off today-- that the pair of hawks was actually two females who will have to duke it out in order to be the consort of the Monarch of Central Park. 
Best,
Donna

It's beginning to look like we're going to need a score card!

Several posts today so scroll down to make sure you didn't miss anything--AND MORE TO COME!!!

Donegal Browne

What Happened to Ginger Lima? And Lincoln Karim is Arrested.

 Long time Central Park Hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton reports late this evening,  that Lincoln Karim was arrested for not turning Ginger Lima's body over to the DEC today upon their request after not transporting or mailing it to the New York State Pathologist on Monday for a necropsy. 

All photographs in this post courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/

Ginger Lima as she was found after apparently falling from the tree she had roosted in the evening before.  After more investigation it  appears she was originally found by a pair of tourists late in the day on Sunday,  who happened on hawkwatchers which included Lincoln Karim and Stella Hamilton, while looking for a park ranger to report the dead hawk.  Hawkwatchers returned to the spot and Lincoln Karim retrieved Ginger Lima's body.


Later in conversation with members of the DEC, Lincoln agreed to be responsible for either transporting or mailing her body to the state wildlife pathology lab for a necropsy.

 Here is a closer view. (What a beautiful hawk she was.) Note that there is no visible injury to her head or anywhere else that we can see. If she had been injured by a Great Horned Owl in the night or a Peregrine Falcon by day ordinarily damage would be visible.


Nor does there appear to be any copious bleeding from Ginger Lima's mouth, nor were any distinct neurological anomalies observed in her behavior on Saturday, both possible symptoms of ingesting a creature who has been poisoned and then hence poisoning the hawk.  (There is a faint smear of blood on her beak but that is often the case with hawks as they eat their food raw.)

It has also occurred to me as a  possibility, that like Alex the famous African Grey Parrot who was found dead in his sleeping cage after a normal and active day at only 26 years of age (life span is 50 years plus for Greys), Ginger Lima may have had an enlarged heart or other congenital defect which suddenly killed her.


I spoke with wonderful wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath this evening and he answered a question that I had been wondering about previously but had never remembered to ask.  Hawks do on occasion ingest a bone or other material they shouldn't have and it can then puncture an organ, leading to internal bleeding and damaged organ function which also can lead to death.


As you can see, a necropsy is the only way we will ever be able to find out exactly what caused Ginger Lima's death, if then.  Sometimes even through the best offices of a wildlife pathologist, particularly if the body is deteriorated, exact cause of death can be difficult to ascertain.

Stella Hamilton and other hawkwatchers report that on Sunday though Pale Male appeared to be grieving for Ginger Lima, another female had been waiting in the wings and Pale Male allowed her inside the territory.  He even went so far as to stand with her on the nest.  Though the New Girl presented herself in copulation posture, it is hard on breeding season after all, Pale Male has not yet been observed availing  himself of her offer.


Normally the formel of Pale Male spends her first overnight on the nest, the point when watchers assume that there are eggs or are about to be, the first or second week of March so Pale Male will likely be working to fertilize eggs very soon.

And from the New York Times--

February 27, 2012, 5:57 pm

Pale Male’s Mate Lima Is Found Dead in Central Park

By JAMES BARRON

The body of Pale Male’s mate Lima, under a tree on Cedar Hill in Central Park.

If only she had just smelled the rat, but no. Lima, the red-tailed hawk who had been the female in Pale Male’s life for more than a year, ate the rat.
That was on Saturday. On Sunday, Lincoln Karim, a wildlife photographer and Pale Male chronicler, found her dead under a tree in Central Park. He speculated that the rat had eaten poison that, in turn, poisoned her.
Lima arrived after Lola disappeared in December 2010, Mr. Karim said. “As soon as the hawks acknowledge that one is missing or dead, they immediately get a new hawk,” he said. “When Lola went missing, this female” — Lima — “showed up right away.”

For More --

Just in from Stella Hamilton, 11:52 EST 

Currently hawkwatchers Stella and Domenic are waiting at the precinct house for Lincoln Karim to be released pending a standard background check which uses fingerprinting to make sure anyone arrested is not wanted for any outstanding crimes. 

MORE TO COME VERY SOON, AN UPDATE FROM JEAN SHUM- Jean watched the Red-tailed Hawks in Pale Male's territory today and there are now THREE.  A possible bonded pair plus Pale Male!  

Is Pale Male in danger of losing his territory?  If it comes to fisticuffs, and Pale Male hasn't taken a new mate by the time they break out with another RTH pair, the territory could be in jeopardy.  Or is it two females who are fighting each other who are the new extras in Pale Male's territory?

Donegal Browne- Keep checking back for more. 

Pale Male Grieves

Ginger Lima, Pale Male's mate, found  dead of unknown causes on the following Sunday takes flight on Saturday, appearing completely healthy.  Photograph courtesy of palemale.com

I spoke with long time NYC hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton this morning. 


When the sun begins to go down in the normal nature of things,  Red-tailed Hawks invariably take to their roosts, preen a few feathers in preparation for the day to come, tuck their heads softly and sleep.


Sunday evening Pale Male screamed in the dark.  He kept screaming and would not stop.  The hawkwatchers gathered below him on Cedar Hill ; listened in their own grief not knowing how to comfort him. 


After time,  they brought his mate Ginger Lima's body and laid it on a large rock in the open where he could see her.  And with Pale Male the hawkwatchers  said their good-byes.


Donegal Browne

Pale Male's Swollen Foot, Eldest Takes First Position, and Pip Swallows It Whole

Pale Male's photograph courtesy of palemale.com

I admit it. Since the episode of Violet of Washington Square Park's hugely swollen foot and leg, I find myself automatically scrutinizing Red-tail feet and tarsi.

I was looking at photos of gorgeous angelic Pale Male and eeeeeek! The tarsus and foot of his left appendage are swollen. Not as bad as Violet's thank goodness but certainly bigger than the other side.

Double click the photo above for a larger version and look for yourself. It's his left leg but on the right as you look at the photograph.

My mind immediately flashed on the fact that this is the leg that when sometimes perched on the Linda building he stretches out in front of him with the toes curled in a "fist" and just sits that way for awhile.

Now I'd wondered about that foot before and its strange positioning. I mean he did look very relaxed while doing it. Now I wonder if it eased it somehow? Had I missed a chronic perhaps intermittent condition all this time? He wasn't just relaxing that leg in an odd position for most of the years I've watched him?

I don't know yet but I'm going to try and find out.

Photograph courtesy of Rob Schmunk, Bloomingdale Village blog.
But in the meantime, Rob Schmunk reports that the newest "Eldest" has taken up the Divine nest pre-fledge position for hopping and flapping.

Because of the configuration of the Divine nest site, the eyasses tend to find the best locations within the limited space up there for particular stages of development and as they've chosen well, those locations tend to be the same year after year. As Rob points out the youngest eyass in the group of three is still relegated to the rear area most of the time.

Middle Child will tend to be up near Eldest who is in the pre-fledge position on St. Andrew's hand watching him hop and flap. And may on occasion actually get a chance to use the spot herself when Eldest isn't using it, depending on how long Eldest remains on the nest.

Once Eldest fledges, Middle Child will have first dibs on The Hand, with Youngest looking on.

Eventually Youngest will be up there all by herself and she will not like it.

Why?

Because the main action of the parent's attention will have moved to the trees and to Morningside Park. Oh, Youngest will still be fed well and nurtured, but Isolde will be off the nest much more often than she has been previously, helping Norman with the two that have fledged already.

The last eyass on the nest often but not always makes a decision to fledge, not an accidental swept-off-by-the-wind-exit that may happen to the first eyass. After two have gone Youngest gets the picture that it can be done and if she wants to hang with the family again full time, making the leap is the way to get there fastest.

Oh, and why is the oldest eyass called the newest Eldest? Because when we started out watching the St. John the Divine Cathedral nest, one of the first nestings we watched had two eyasses and they were called Eldest and Youngest. It is interesting how hawk watching traditions concerning a certain nest start, work, and then just--continue.

The best hawk names often say something important about how to identify the holder of the name. With eyasses the names tend toward information about age or size. Unless, of course, like Pip of Washington Square there isn't an issue of telling one from another.

For more about this Divine threesome, click on Rob's link under the photograph above.

Eldest could go off any day now, or last another week and a half. One never does know.


Next up from Robin of Illinois-Pip is now at the stage where she will swallow things whole which rather surprised some watchers of the cam. And I mean a great portion of a whole squirrel for instance.

On occasion this may backfire and the item will be too large and lodge in her throat. Often with the eyass's beak pointed straight up with a portion of the prey sticking out of it.

I remember one instance in which Little of the Trump Parc nest, stood for the longest time after swallowing a complete and fully feathered pigeon wing, with his beak straight up with about 4 inches of a long primary feather jutting up. He was breathing fine, he just couldn't get it down.

It was the first time I'd observed the phenomena and I was horrified that Little would suffacater ore strangle or have so life threatening food mishap. But Charlotte just stood and watched him for what seemed like an eternity before grapping the primary and tugging the whole wing back out for him so he could put his head back into a normal position. Undaunted he immediately did it again.

If this happens to Pip, Violet will allow the stuck prey to stay stuck for some minutes before dragging it out of her throat. There is a lesson to be learned here after all. Some eyasses will just swallow whatever it was whole immediately a second time, upon its removal like Little did. If Pip does this, Violet will then let it stay stuck for a longer period. Eventually pulling it back out, but also eventually the eyass will learn what "too big" to swallow is-- before leaving the nest. Off the nest she won't have the aid of a parent immediately to hand, so it is an important lesson to be learned before taking the big leap.

Watch a feeding in which Pip swallows "it" whole.
http://hawkcam.blogspot.com/


John Blakeman answers many questions about Red-tailed Hawks, in case you missed a chapter here and there. Well worth the read for the new watcher and a refresher for those who may be a bit rusty...

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/121290-hawk-faqs-by-john-blakeman.html

Donegal Browne

Violet of Washington Square & NYU, John Blakeman, DEC, Dumpsters, Rat Poison, Riverside Park, Central Park, Rose and Vince of Fordham, Clutch Size

Screen capture courtesy of NYTimes CityRoom Blog

May 10, 10:40am, Violet stands on her left leg with her right up and it isn't because she is relaxing. The metal band is making her foot so swollen she can't use it, besides the fact that this band has become life threatening.

And lest we forget look at that fishing line all over the place that tethered Violet to the nest for awhile and made her leg worse.

What happens when the eyass (I've decided to call her Solo until whoever gives her an official name.) starts toddling around and gets it tangled around her neck? It will be just a tad late to get Bobby Horvath up there to take care of it, won't it?

I've had quite a number of questions come in basically asking, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH VIOLET? WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO DO SOMETHING?

From the NYTimes City Room Blog--

"Plans to remove Violet from the nest and treat her injured leg are on hold for now as the State Department of Environmental Conservation has stepped in to take charge of the case and has opted to monitor her for now and seek more opinions, citing concerns about the welfare of the eyas in the nest.

"Removal of the adult, even for a short period of time, would endanger the hatchling and eggs," the department said in a statement Monday evening.

(Ah, the formel does leave the nest on occasion. we've seen her do it. Have you guys ever watched a hawk nest? Violet hasn't been holding her feces since Solo hatched and Red-tails don't ordinarily defecate on the nest.)

New York University had reached out to the state, ... "

(More at link above)

Reached out to the state? That was NYU's first mistake but they didn't know they'd be hearing from clueless bureaucrats who have never watched a hawk's nest, care more about not looking bad as per a decision, or not offending important personages than they do about the animals they are paid to protect...

Don't get me started.

Actually I'm all ready started. In fact I'm rather in a fury.

How do we know that the DEC is clueless? Note the first paragraph written by the NYTimes bloggist. The writer uses "eyas". The proper name for what comes out of a Red-tailed Hawk egg. Even the writer knows that!

Now what term is used by the DEC in their statement? Hatchling?

Get a grip! No biologist worth his salt uses the silly generic term hatchling about anything. It's the desk potatoes who are calling the shots here and as Bobby Horvath's wildlife rehabilitation licenses come from the DEC, they are his bosses and he's completely powerless to do anything about it until they say he can.

Just makes you sick doesn't it?

In the meantime hawk enthusiast Mai Stewart sent an email to hawk expert John Blakeman concerning Violet and the Portland nest in which four eggs were laid.

I don't as yet have Mr. Blakeman's permission to print the full email as I didn't send an email asking him until he was likely asleep. Therefore I'll print the second portion and wait for permission for the first half, which very likely will appear here tomorrow.

First Mai's email-

Dear John,

Re Violet (NYU) -- what are your thoughts about her foot/leg condition, her ability to feed/raise her eyass, and the long-term consequences for Violet? Can she be saved? I know plans are in the works w/ the Horvaths and NYU officials to try to capture her, remove the band, quickly treat the injury and return her to the nest. Do you think this can save her leg/life?

Have you had any similar experiences? I know the Horvaths are excellent rehabbers and want to help if possible. It is very hard to watch Violet struggle with this injury.

Re Portland, OR -- apparently 4 eggs were laid, but only 3 have hatched -- is it unusual for an RT to lay 4 eggs? We've only seen 2 or 3 here in NYC. The 3 hatched eyasses appear to be thriving, and their mother extremely attentive and diligent.

Thank you,

Mai

And the second portion of Mr. Blakeman's email to Mai--

... She [Violet] already favors her one good foot when standing, and we falconers know from years of experience that when a hawk can't use both feet, when it must stand preferentially on just one foot, it's just a matter of time before the good foot gets "bumblefoot," an infectious sore. When that strikes, the game is over.

In the East and Midwest, four eggs are simply never laid. If there are any authenticated cases of a clutch of four, I'm unaware of them.

But in the West, there are giant populations of ground squirrels, of several species. These are rather easily and abundantly captured. So the large prey population, along with the mild winters, allows formels to load up on nutrients and lay and hatch four eggs.

Clutch size in Red-tails (and most raptors) is directly controlled by the availability of prey. Here in rural northern Ohio, our Red-tail nests average 1.6 eyasses per nest. We simply don't have a lot of big rodents running around the row-crop landscapes here. Corn and soybean fields are biological deserts. The only habitat for prey rodents is ditches and fencerows, so local Red-tails really have to work to find enough prey to produce more than one egg.

--John Blakeman

Photograph courtesy of palemale.com
The Dumpster in Riverside Park earlier in the month.

Though we have been promised that no more rat poison will be placed in Washington Square Park during hawk season. Rat Poison and nasty sanitation is still firmly in place in Riverside Park and Central Park.

(Can you believe they are risking the poisoning of world famous Pale Male? Talk about possible really BAD press.)

On the May 4th update, of this blog which concerned rats, poison, and garbage disposal in Riverside Park. I posted a letter that contributor Karen Anne Kolling had sent to, among others, Mike O'Neil of the Boat Basin Cafe, in which she told them just what she thought about the death of Riverside Dad, overflowing dumpsters, and rat poison. She received a response from Mr. O'Neil part of which said he was going to obtain more dumpsters. Then today, I received an added tidbit about the Riverside dumpster in the comment section of that post from Bruce Yolton, of urbanhawks.

Bruce pointed out that the dumpster that is in Riverside Park is one that is made for yard waste not food waste and therefore isn't sealed. Rats can access the goodies through the unsealed seams making it an easy buffet for rats as soon as the day's light begins to dim. Therefore it isn't just more dumpsters that are needed but the correct dumpsters for the job and lest we forget, dumpsters that are used correctly.

Which brings us to the dumpster outside the Boat House in Central Park.
Photograph courtesy of palemale.com

Note the differences between the two dumpsters.

Yes, folks, we're getting a little seminar on dumpsters this evening.

Directly above is a dumpster which is built for garbage. By the way, technically garbage is refuse that contains food waste. You'll also note that flapped back segment on the enclosed portion of the dumpster is a lid that is supposed to close the dumpster and keep garbage bags from toppling out or blowing out of said dumpster where rats would have extra easy ground access.

Though rats being adaptive clever creatures they've been know to find avenues to the tops of dumpsters as well. Oops, shouldn't leave them open like that, should we? Beyond that, though I've run across a few garbage dumpsters in my time in which the lid was so well fitting, so tightly flush to the bottom that you couldn't even poke a piece of old chewing gum in without opening it.

Whether this one is snug is really beside the point though isn't it?

So even though the Boat House has cleaned up their act enough not to have plastic bags of garbage stacked so high in the dumpster regularly that many ended up on the ground as happened in the past, it just isn't good enough. Their sanitation has a big hole in it or they wouldn't have all those boxes of rat poison all over the place.

Photograph courtesy of palemale.com
Including one right next to a kitchen door. Disgusting or what?

Once again, "We have seen the enemy and he is us." Well members of our species anyway.

You know between the human idiocy surrounding Violet's suffering and rat poison laying around like candy, I think I need a little diversion before I become catatonically depressed

BATTLE OF THE BATH PART 2-A momentary diversion to take us away from our frustration and fear concerning Violet on one hand and rat poison on the other. Then we'll get back to more avian news. Some of which is even good!

When we left the Battle of the Bath Part 1, Mourning Dove had flown over to the bath, looked at the scary crowd, and decided that perhaps a drink was enough for the moment. She then flew off to the twig pile to wait.

Mourning Dove has just made her exit and Red-winged Blackbird, Starling, and Grackle go back to their baths.

Baths which seem to being lasting for rather a lengthy period of time for those waiting in line on the twig pile for their baths.

Male Rosebreasted Grosbeak, left, lets out an aggressive squeaky metallic, keeck, in the direction of the bath.

And he's off toward the south, Mrs. Grosbeak watches him go and Mourning Dove is distracted by some other doves in the park.

Mrs. Grosbeak goes back to watching the bowl.

Why?

Because she knows something we don't.

Mr. Grosbeak has done a stealth flight to below the bowl, where the bathing birds can't see him. He clings to the pebbled side of the base, bracing himself with his tail while he listens.

Wait a minute! Did Grackle leave and Cowbird break in line to get into the bath. You just can't trust the black bird clan.

They bathe; he waits a few moments.

Then WHAAAAA!!! Starling flings himself unceremoniously across the bowl.

Look at Starlings posture and face--Jeez, that was really embarrassing!

Beak out of joint, Starling considers making an issue of Grosbeak's entrance. Then thinks better of it and goes back to bathing.

Grosbeak lets out another of his aggressive keecks.

Grosbeak continues to stare pointedly. Starling pauses, Red-wing doesn't.

Then suddenly Starling and Redwing are staring at each other. ???

Grosbeak continues his, "I'm waiting" stare. Starling splashes mightily and Red-wing squawks in complaint.

They glare at each other.

Then both crowd into the center of the bowl where there is actually some water left and try to out splash each other.
They come up for air and look in opposite directions. Grosbeak waits.

The bathers go for it again. Grosbeak tired of waiting, pulls another trick from his bag, and does a feint towards the bowl but stays in place.

Red-wing has had enough and leaps into the air.

Grosbeak?

One down, one to go.
To be continued...

Photograph courtesy of palemale.com
Pale Male and Ginger Lima doing their jobs awaiting a hatch.
Fingers crossed!

As we could all use some good news, blog contributor Karen Anne Kolling of the Gonzo Deck in RI has sent in some great Whooping Crane news. Yes, I know, it's about time there was some great Whooper news.

http://www.facebook.com/OperationMigration

"Friends of Necedah NWR is reporting that W1-06, the first ever wild hatched Whooping crane in the Eastern Migratory Population has become a Mom herself! This is the FIRST "second generation" Whooping crane in the reintroduced population and the grandchick of #17-02 , First Mom, the crane that was shot November 30, 2009 in Indiana."

And some news concerning Rose and Vince's nest at Fordham from hawkwatcher Chris Lyon--

I saw Rose on the nest yesterday, looking down into it with great interest, and doing a bit of mantling (shading the nest with her wings and tail), even though it was cool and shady. I thought I saw some white fluffy feathers, but I never saw a little hawk head, or definite movement. The nest is really built up now, and without being able to look down from a higher level, it's just not possible to say for sure what's going on until such time as the young are able to move around. Hopefully they're not only hatched but healthy. I'll know for sure in two weeks, when I get back from vacation. In the meantime, I'm sure Richard Fleisher will be checking in.

It sounds like you might have a hatch! Congratulations.

Donegal Browne