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.) 

T2 the Valiant Tiercel Who Flew In To Help Raise Franklin Mom's Eyasses Mid-Season When Her Mate Died Two Seasons Ago Has Now Passed Himself

T2 Photo courtesy of Dinko Mitic  

FROM HAWKWATCH AT THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE--

We heard the saddest news today. Earlier this week, Amtrak workers in the train yards near 30th Street station found a dead hawk on the tracks. Because T2 has not been seen since last Sunday, it seems highly likely that this hawk was T2. 

It is easy to imagine that he was on a fast hunting run, eyes totally focused on his prey, flying low over the tracks just as a train was coming. This is how Dad was hit by a truck two years ago on the 30th Street off-ramp.

MORE- http://sunnydixie.blogspot.com/

T2  shall be sorely missed.


Parasitism of Crow Nests by Cuckoos Can Be Helpful for Crow Families???

I've always found the parasitism of nests pretty depressing actually but.... 
Robin of Illinois sent in a fascinating factoid from The Times of London, in which scientists, after a 16 year study, found that Crow families whose nests are parasitized by Cuckoos have a better chance of survival.

 Seems rather counter intuitive doesn't it?

  But as it turns out Cuckoo chicks let off a nasty rotten meat smell when threatened which may keep the nest safe from marauders such as cats.

Who knew? 

FAREWELL TO BEAUTIFUL FIERCE ROSE OF FORDHAM

 Photo courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/   
 Pale Male patrols his territory late in the day,  Sunday.  
 
Chris Lyon has continued the search for Rose of Fordham to no avail though he has been in contact with some birders in the NYBG who have some possibly relevant information.   

Stranger and stranger...here is the birders' report--

Last week we found the GHO nest. The female is very visible. In the 3 past years Junior Owl male has mated, he ALWAYS sat outside the nest guarding and watching. I have not been able to locate him in approximately 4-5 weeks. I assumed when they nested he was with her but now that we found the nest we cannot find him. Many birders looked. No Junior male owl. How long has Rose been missing? She was the owl that "jumped" Junior that day when harassing him with her Alpha son.
Could it be Rose and Junior had it out with no winner?
I saw Vince yesterday- looking lost.

Chris Lyons response-


Possible--I haven't spotted Rose in about six weeks or so, since I saw her engaged in courtship flights over on the campus.   Even though GHO's tend to be proportionately stronger than RT's, Rose might have had enough of a size advantage to even the scales.  Maybe they engaged at twilight or dusk, where light conditions wouldn't favor either combatant.   Because he was timid during the day, she might have gotten overconfident, and come a bit too close.   Whoever won, it could easily have been a victory of the pyrrhic type.  

Maybe he'll still turn up, but it doesn't sound good--at this point, I see no hope at all of Rose showing up alive.  But where are the bodies?  Could any maintenance people have found them?   Of course, there are big raccoons in there who'd happily dispose of the spoils of war. 

 Chris forwarded the above.  And below find his note to me , 

Figured you'd want to hear about this.  Of course, it's still purely speculative, but that would be some coincidence.  

Red-tails and Great Horned's love the same types of habitat, and most of the time, they live in relative peace, because they work different shifts.  In Van Cortlandt Park, I have seen RT's confront GHO's in the daytime, and it's always a stand-off--the owls just hold their ground, and the hawks know better than to get too close--I have also found the body of a large immature RT near an active GHO nest, and that was no coincidence.   But immature hawks are less prudent than adults, and Rose was an exceptionally well-seasoned adult, so what could have happened here? 

Rose was in her prime, healthy, and fully in control of her territory--while a battle with a rival female of her own species is possible, I think she was too well-entrenched not to come out victorious in a conflict of that kind.  She seems to have been exceptionally aggressive towards Great Horned Owls, and got away with it for years--perhaps the willingness of the NYBG owls to put up with her harassment made her over-confident--and with a nesting mate to defend,  Junior would be less likely to tolerate her incursions.  Even a relatively small and meek Great Horned Owl is a Great Horned Owl--the most ferocious raptor in North America, able to kill animals many times its size.   It would really say something for how formidable Rose was if she managed to make a draw of it.  But without any physical evidence, we may never know.  

And my response to Chris...

 Thank you Chris.  Oh dear.  It's possible it is a coincidence I suppose, but it is very suspicious. Particularly as both were birds in residence for some years who have disappeared in a relatively similar time frame.  That doesn't make it fact by any stretch of the imagination but this scenario though sad is far better than if Rose had been poisoned.   Better to go out fighting in a blaze of glory, if one is a hawk, I would  think.  Particularly as it appears she had a definite issue with the Great Horned Owls.

 How is Great Horned Mom going to be able to incubate and feed her owlettes or even keep the eggs warm as she'll have to hunt if she is widowed.  Unless of course,  Mr GHO has found a very hidden spot to watch over things.

Poor Vince.  He's not yet given up and started to court a new female.  Which cements the fact that he doesn't know what happened to Rose either. He wouldn't though if she was off in GHO territory and he was guarding their territory closely as males are prone to do at this time of year.

If Vince takes a new mate, I'm assuming he will this season though a little late as there are always available mates in the floater population, and if Rose did meet her demise doing in the male GHO, she'll have given the gift of some GHO safety to Vince's offspring.

 I doubt very much that Rose's death was due to a female RTH.  Vince would have helped in the battle.  And having seen many an incursion into PM's, Tristan's and Norman's territories,  one RTH is no match for an experienced pair.  Besides in that case, Vince would know what happened to Rose and not be looking for her.

You are so right.  We may very well never know what happened to Rose with finality but at this point I fear too, that we must  bid her farewell.  She has left us her biological legacy of  many well raised human habituated young hawks to return to their natal areas when mature and continue to raise their families in our urban landscapes.

Rest in peace beautiful fierce courageous Rose.  We shall miss you.

 Rosie returns from a break on Monday and gives the window a stare as Bobby slowly leaves the three eggs.  

At dusk Bobby returned with a rat for Rosie.  She got off the bowl and left again leaving the rat behind.  

And Red-tail expert John Blakeman answers some questions in an article in Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer-

http://articles.philly.com/2013-03-31/news/38165591_1_della-micah-hawk-watchers-hawkaholics

All appears to be going well at the Franklin Institute nest of Mom and T2 also.  They also now have three eggs.

The number of eggs in a season ordinarily depends on the prey depth and the hawks ability to avail themselves of that prey.   The deeper the prey depth, and the better the hunter,  the higher the number of eggs.   

Within reason of course.  They aren't ducks.

Al Olsen reports that the Fifth Avenue nest is progressing nicely.

Isolde as is usual this time of year, is keeping close in the nest behind St. Andrew's elbow at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

Photo courtesy of Rob Schmunk,

Rob Schmunk has some lovely photos and updates on the new nest of the Red-tailed Pair at Central Park West and 92nd Street.  Take a look.   http://morningsidehawks.blogspot.com/


Donegal Browne

FLASH! SECOND EGG AT THE FRANKLIN! PLUS AN AUDUBON ACTION ALERT-THE GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE!!!

 The second egg at the Franklin Institute was laid shortly after 12 noon! 

While the hawks are doing well, other birds are not.  National Audubon has sent out an advocacy alert for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.  
 The Gunnison Sage-Grouse has been identified by Audubon as one of the ten most endangered birds in the country. With fewer than 5,000 individuals left, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recently proposed to list the species as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately—even with dramatically shrinking populations—growing political opposition is threatening the science-based plan to ensure the survival of the Gunnison Sage-Grouse.

It is vitally important for as many people as possible to submit comments in support of protecting the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. The deadline to comment is Tuesday, April 2. Send your comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services TODAY.

FOR THE FULL ALERT MESSAGE GO TO-

https://secure3.convio.net/nasaud/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1391&autologin=true

 MORE HAWK NEWS LATER TODAY!

DB

An Afternoon with Pale Male and Octavia and What's in the Bowl of That Nest...and Why?

 Photo courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/
  Here are longtime Hawk Watcher Stella Hamilton's  saturday notes from the field-- Pale Male and Octavia of the 927 Fifth Avenue nest.

Dear Donna, 

 I spent most of the afternoon hawk watching at the Hawkbench.  

I arrived at approximately 3:15. Palemale was on the nest, and Octavia was soaring . 

 3:28 Palemale leaves nest and meets up with Octavia on her favorite mating tree , an oak tree on 76th and 5th, and guess why .... To mate.  Palemale then flies off .and 

3:31 Pale Male returns to nest at with a twig and places it in deep part of the nest bowl. 

3:55  Both hawks soar. 

4:00 Palemale flies with small prey and eats it on terrace of building we call the ship or boat building. Plenty going on here. 

I decided to check out what's happening at the Plaza Hotel. 

4:20 I arrived at the Plaza and stayed there for about a half hour , but saw no hawks at all. I walked back up town to watch Palemale and Octavia. 

There was a lot of soaring and nest time together . 

At 5:05, both hawks were on the nest, then Octavia leaves nest and flies to her favorite mating tree on 76th. No mating observed at this time. 

Octavia decides to roost on tree on 72nd and Palemale roosts on tree on East Drive a few yards west of Alice in Wonderland. 

Stella Hamilton 

Keep 'em coming Stella!
Photo courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/

NEXT UP, NEST LINING

When it comes time to line the bowl of their nests, many NYC hawks peel the inner bark from trees as their material of chose for cozy nest bowl lining.   I've watched Pale Male, Lola, Charlotte, Junior, Athena, and Riverside Mom all do it in person and many other NYC  hawks via photo.  Therefore I'd thought without really thinking about it,  that bark was, when available, the material of choice for nest bowls by urban Red-tails.

And that dear readers is what one gets for thinking something without really thinking about it.  One must watch for those sneaky assumptions.  

 As it turns out, my thought was just that,  an assumption.  And it was wrong.

I would have thought that the Franklin Institute Hawks would be using the inner bark of trees for bowl lining too.  Not so.


 The male T2 has lined the bowl with evergreen boughs.  Now I can't say for sure that there aren't some strips of bark underneath but it looks pretty twiggy below the needles from here. 

In Pale Male's nest in past years, it is dry grass from one of the adjacent terrace's flower boxes that is gleaned and laid over the bark.

Now I'm told there  are deciduous trees reasonably close to the nest site at the Franklin. Therefore it would appear that the bowl lining of choice there, as opposed to making do as the deciduous bark isn't available, for this pair is evergreen.

My question then is, was this lining chosen after experimentation or was this the lining of say, one or the other hawks natal nest?


Donegal Browne

John Blakeman on T2 of the Franklin Institute Nest Plus Pale Male and Zena's Eyasses and Mama and Papa"s Eyasses-One Formel and One Tiercel?

                  Pale Male and Zena's eyasses courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/
          Some eyasses prefer the shade and some don't. 

 Screen capture courtesy of               T2 AND THE STEP-EYASSES

►►

www.ustream.tv/channel/the-franklin-institute-haw-cam     
I asked John Blakeman for his thoughts on the amazing T2.  The new  tiercel at the Franklin Institute nest who took up step-dad duties for the three eyasses with a vengeance.  

Plus whether the rumors he would be doing a Red-tailed Hawk seminar in Philadelphia were true.

Donna,

The T2 saga at the FI is remarkable. I know of no other instances of this, where a floating haggard came in and essentially took all the functional duties of a very recently killed resident haggard, right at the start of the brooding of hatched eyasses.

The behavioral adaptations required for this are remarkable. We falconers see and know the full hunting and killing powers and mind-sets of Red-tails. It's remarkable in and of itself that tiercels can convert themselves from hunter/killers to food providers and feeders of their own eyasses. But in this case, the new tiercel came in, almost instantly, and took up those duties. The hormonal and psychological mechanisms of this are astonishing.

And finally, T2 carefully feeds his step-eyasses. Who'da thunk?

An FI Blakeman appearance or program is quite tenuous just yet; mere talk among chatroom posters, as far as I know. The matter of expenses might be constraining. I'm in no position to get myself to Philadelphia for a day or two by my own resources, so an Amtrak ride and a night or two in some hotel would have to be accommodated, along with getting me around the city. I have no idea how to utilize cabs or buses or subways. I'd be utterly flummoxed with all of that, in any big city.

But I do have a fine digital slide show on raptors, and I'm (dare I say) extremely good in front of keen audiences. I do hawk talks around Ohio (and prairie programs, too).

--John Blakeman

Thanks John. :)  T2 is a mind boggler.  There are so many questions.  Why did Franklin Mom not run him out of the territory?  Did she know him?  Rather like Pale Male and First Love, who went to rehab for too long and PM bonded again.  The second mate died so he took up with F. L. again. Could this be similar.

 Maybe.  

But with eyasses on the nest?  The fact that he feeds them himself means to me that he's an older experienced tiercel.  As far as I know, and also I think you may have pointed out, the careful feeding of eyasses by a tiercel is something that doesn't really happen in younger males.  In fact it doesn't always happen in older males.  I've never seen Pale Male feed, though he does appear to love sitting on eggs. :)

Or did T2 loose his family this season, was in the proper hormonal stage, and that's why he took to Franklin Mom and her brood?

It drives me crazy that we'll very likely never know definitely why he's acted as he has!

As to trips to a "big city" for a underwritten seminar/slide show, you never know.  And  I wouldn't let the vagaries of city transportation stand in your way.  For a novice, cabs are the way to go.  Just make sure you know the address; a mistake I made on my first trip to NYC.  I wanted to go to the American Museum of Natural History.  A friend said, you don't need the address, every cabbie in NYC knows where the Natural History Museum is.  Wrong.  I got the one cab driver in NYC who didn't. :)

And last but not least, an American factoid-- According to PBS, Yellowstone National Park includes half of the geothermal features on the Earth.

 I did my nightly check of Mama and Papa's nest in Queens expecting to once again see Mama keeping vigil and the two eyasses basically looking like a couple of mounds of feathers snuggled into the nest.  Instead there the eyasses were standing up, totally awake, staring at their mother.  Hmmm.  Has there been an attack on the nest?  A repeat of the likely Great Horned Owl attack in which an eyass was likely snatched?  Well, Mama did some swishing around with her wings that was a little worrisome.

I scrutinized.  Wait.  Mama appears to be preening.

And before long, both the eyassess tucked their heads like grown up hawks and went to sleep standing up.  No more nightly feather piles?

Beyond that, the soon to be fledglings,  are in stances in which they are completely comparable.  Check it out.  It looks like Mama and Papa have a formel, right, and a tiercel, left!

Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne