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
Stella Hamilton and Katherine Herzog, both NYC Hawkwatchers of long standing, took my suggestion and Kat stayed uptown in view of Pale Male's 927 nest and Stella went downtown to watch the area around The Plaza.
I'm still making sense of my notes, but one big discovery is that there are a Red-tailed Hawk pair (identity currently not nailed down) busily taking twigs in and out from behind a cornice/facade, nest building on "The Gold Building" a block from the Plaza.
MUCH MORE TO COME TONIGHT!
Photo courtesy of http://www.palemale.com/
Octavia, the eighth mate of Pale Male
Hawkwatcher Roger_Paw writes that, though she has a small kernel of doubt, she's pretty sure that Octavia is mating with the male down at The Plaza Apartments.
Then the question becomes is the male hanging out at The Plaza actually Pale Male or another hawk who just looks a bit like him?
As Ben Cacace spoke great truth when he said, "Never underestimate a Red-tail!", we should never say never when it comes to Red-tailed Hawk behavior.
Is it possible that Octavia is copulating with two different males? Just about any behavior may be possible with Red-tailed Hawks. They are very individualistic and they are adaptive thinkers.
If so, a good question becomes as bonded pairs are almost always in visual contact with each other during mating season, where is Pale Male during all this?
I've found no cases in the literature of female bigamy, but as we all know, NYC hawkwatchers see all sorts of behavior that isn't in the literature.
And there are cases on record of a male Red-tail, taking two mates at the same time and providing for both females and two batches of eyasses at the same time.
So far I've not found a female who copulates with two males but it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
That said, let us remember that Pale Male always offers his mate an alternative to 927 Fifth Avenue and give some thought to where Pale Male has strewn a few twigs this year.
We've often chronicled this behavior in past years but as far as I know no one has yet discovered any alternate sites for 927 this season.
Hmmm.
Each year Pale Male offers his mate a secondary nest site, and sometimes even a third, just in case she's silly enough not to take the premier location at 927 Fifth Avenue. So far she's always chosen 927 since it has been offered.
Pale Male often offered Lola an alternative nest site on The Beresford, where they both tended to spend the earlier part of each day. He'd bring a few twigs and hang out in that spot early in the day, then later they'd both move to the east side and hang around that area, including 927.
Is it not possible that the this year's temporary nest, that spot typically with just a few strewn twigs, is on The Plaza?
I commend Roger_Paw for finding a current ID mark for Octavia.
I agree that that particular female downtown is Octavia.
During nesting season a big part of identification has to do with location though many may not admit it.
And the light on a hawk's feathers as any hawkwatcher will tell you changes the color and depth of color of those feathers drastically at times.
Could Octavia be two-timing Pale Male. Of course she could be.
Could the Plaza Male and Pale Male be the same bird or a different bird? Both are possible until we find a defining mark which doesn't appear on both.
Or secondarily, a rather a terrible thought, when is the last time that Pale Male was definitively spotted?
Is he missing?
That would fully explain Octavia's copulation with a different hawk if that is the case. The biological imperative to propagate takes over at this time of year.
Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to Hawk Season 2013.
Stay tuned. Let us hope it is not another season filled with grief.
Donegal Browne
