Photo courtesy of
palemale.com
Octavia fights to retain her pigeon meal from an intruder in full view of the watchers at the Hawk Bench.
(Sorry dear readers that this is going up so late, I was scanning and editing the vintage photos for a friend's book, which is due very soon to his publisher!)
It was a very exciting afternoon for those who were out in the field today, and yes, our Uptown/Downtown Team was back in the traces yet again too.
Katherine Herzog, our uptown contributor, was on the spot when the big Fifth Avenue Food Fight took place and it was one of the most exciting interchanges that has been seen in a good while according to the veterans at the Hawk Bench..
Octavia had a pigeon of which she was going to make a meal when an intruder Red-tail appeared and attempted to take it away from her. And the spectacular aerial display began!
Talons flashed up, there were swoops and lots of mid-air bumping. The fabulous Keeeee cry of red-tails rang over the Model Boat Pond once again.
The intruder did manage to take the meal from Octavia but then it was Pale Male to the rescue with the Big O in support.
Ever the gentleman, Pale Male after spectacular flying and clever tactics, which brought many an exclamation from the ground, managed to retrieve Octavia's meal. Which he then presented back to her.
Kat also reports that Pale Male and Octavia copulated at 78th St. this afternoon, and Stella reported that at just about the same time, the Downtown Pair was copulating as well.
Therefore with the confusing copulation in earlier days it was clear today that whatever is going on it isn't because someone somewhere was missing a mate, today's activities brought that thought to rest as everyone was seen "doing it" at about the same time.
At about 4:25pm (Eastern Time) Stella Hamilton called just as she sighted a Red-tailed Hawk flying downtown on Fifth Avenue. The unidentified hawk then proceeded to fly back up Fifth Avenue.
Also in view were two hawks downtown, one on the Sherry Netherland gargoyle, preening , the Sherry Netherland was where the Downtown pair had copulated, and there was another hawk on the roof of The Plaza near the flagpole.
Eventually the pair flew west toward The Essex and disappeared.
At about 4:40pm Katherine Herzog reported that Pale Male had been sitting on the Linda Building but then took off for the Ramble.
Where was O? Was she the one flying down and than back up Fifth Avenue? And if so, why?
Plus just who was the intruder who snatched O's pigeon?
More to come as it happens!
Happy Hawking!
Donegal Browne
Octavia on February 24, 2013, courtesy of palemale.com
Note the terminal black band of a mature Red-tailed Hawk from this view is very scant to invisible on Octavia. According to hawkwatcher Stella Hamilton she is pretty much without one. Octavia is often identified by the black spot on her second tail feather from the right, barring the coincidence of another hawk frequenting Central Park with the same spot in which case we'd all have blown it.
Yesterday I'd emailed Stella suggesting that it could be very enlightening if she and another hawkwatcher, possibly Katherine Herzog split their hawk watching area for today into two sections, one each. One person should take the uptown, 927 Fifth Avenue beat, and the other, the downtown Plaza area.
All times Eastern
3:19 PM Stella calls from her downtown view near the Plaza. FLASH! There are a pair of Red-tail Hawks taking twigs in and out from behind a decorative structure on The Crown Building which is a block from The Plaza. This is a new location altogether for nest building.
3:45PM Kat reports Pale Male and Octavia are hanging out at the Fifth Avenue nest just like a well bonded pair would at this time of year. She then reports a single Red-tail flies downtown on Fifth Avenue.
3:48PM Stella reports the appearance of Octavia downtown and the appearance of a male RTH who seems slightly darker than Pale Male with less of an obvious difference between head and back coloration than Pale Male has. This male does have the black band on his tail as does Pale Male, while Octavia's tail band is sketchy.
4:23PM Stella has lost sight of Octavia, but another hawk with a visible black band on the red tail, has flown to a perch on The Plaza near the flagpole.
4:34PM Stella reports a hawk coming down Fifth Avenue to The Pond area. Stella calls Kat to see if perhaps Octavia or Pale Male may have just flown down Fifth, the Hawk Bench is empty and Kat is on her way home. DRAT! Red-tail who had perched there earlier is still on The Plaza appearing to hunt.
4:38PM Stella takes two pictures of The Crown Building.
Photo courtesy of Stella Hamilton
The facade in which earlier Stella observed a pair of Red-tails taking twigs in and out from behind this architectural element.
5:15PM If a Red-tail pair chooses this site, it will be extremely tough to view from the ground. Though the round window center frame would possibly be a marvelous spot if a hawkwatcher could get themselves up there.
5:46PM From Stella--"This is the downtown Plaza male. He sat there on top of a tree at the
entrance of Central Park Zoo trying to hunt... "
5:47PM
5:49PM Note the black tail band, which Pale Male also has.
From Stella, " [Downtown Male]... then decided to fly toward the Plaza hotel where he sat on the roof
below the western flagpole. He sat there for 2 minutes then decided to
fly westward toward the Time Warner building. I had no more visual of
the female or any other hawk at that time. It was getting dark."
Many thanks to Stella Hamilton and Katherine Herzog!
Stella says she will be back in the field tomorrow!
"Curiouser and curiouser", said Alice...
Happy Hawking
Donegal Browne
