An Egg For Rosie, and Quicksilver, the African Grey, Does the Electric Can Opener

PHOTO BY DONEGAL BROWNE

For Bobby and Rosie, One Egg in the Nest

By EMILY S. RUEB

There is an egg in the nest.
The red-tailed hawks of Washington Square Park, Bobby and Rosie, are guarding an egg in their aerie on the 12th-floor ledge of Bobst Library, outside of the New York University president’s office.

Hawk Cam

Chronicling the red-tailed hawks of Washington Square Park.

The president, John Sexton, saw the egg when both birds were out of the nest on Tuesday, said John Beckman, a university spokesman.
“It is a joy that we have now added the rhythms of nature to the rhythms of an academic community,” Dr. Sexton said in statement. Just as we did last year, City Room plans to broadcast the unfolding drama of life on the ledge via our Hawk Cam.
It remains to be seen how many eggs will be in the clutch: red-tails lay as many as five.
Once incubation begins — when Rosie hunkers down over the eggs and begins warming them in earnest — the gestation period is typically 28 to 35 days, though if we use last year’s 42-day incubation period as a forecasting model, the atypical can be typical.
Since the pair were first seen together in late December, they have...

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Thanks to Pondove for the heads up!

Photo  Donegal Browne

I was in the bedroom when suddenly I heard the whirring of a motor emanating from the other side of the house.  What in the world?  Was the parrot on his perch?  You've got to be kidding. Because the parrot is standing on the lever of the can opener while it errrrrrs, his weight just enough to get it going. 

 Silver is not in the least perturbed.       

Photo Donegal Browne

The results of a March snowstorm.  I very much like how the "nest" looks covered in snow.  Almost immediately the temperature soared up to the 50's, the grass has begun to green under the bird feeders, and for the last few nights every now and again, a bird sings a snatch of his species song.

Speaking of sound, just in from Robin of Illinois- and Eagle Cam with SOUND!
http://www.facebook.com/EaglesatNBG

Donegal Browne

Pale Male, Ginger Lima, Piebald Grackle, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel, and 888 Peregrine on Eggs!

Pale Male flies by with prey.

Still copulating! And still with Ginger Lima...

I looked out the patio door today and WHOA!

No, he hasn't been in wet paint.

Wisconsin, capitol of leucistic and albino fauna, has come through again. This is a piebald leucistic Grackle. In other words, the bird has true species colors in the areas that are not completely devoid of pigment. Somehow the streaks and speckles make him look less fierce than your typical Grackle.

This bird happened to be under the feeder alone so I don't know how he gets along with other Grackles. In the past when there have been leucistic birds in the yard they've been treated, at least to the human eye, by other members of their species as if they were true colored. Though I've not watched a leucistic Grackle before. Stay tuned.

I'd noticed that the entrance to Chewy's burrow was open and lo and behold today, Chewy, or a relative was out in the feeding area stuffing those Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel cheeks.

In regards to a question about a possible nest in Tompkins Square Park, which would mean two urban hawk nests only a mile apart with the addition of the Washington Square nest. A response from Francois Portmann, pro photographer and worldly bird watcher-

There is no RTH nest in Tompkins Square Park. Bird photographer Dennis Edge who visits the park daily confirms: "I saw a squirrel building the nest mentioned, RTHs sometimes sit on squirrel's nest" Hope that helps,
Francois
http://www.fotoportmann.com


Photo by Brett Odom

And from our watcher of the 888 nest site, Brett Odom--

Hello Donna.

Yesterday (April 2^nd. I missed it in my box for a week. Sorry. D.B.) I managed to take a very blurry photo of one of the falcons on the 888 nest ledge. I haven't brought in my tripod to work yet which is why the photo is not in focus. I will bring it in with me on Monday. As you can see, the falcon is not perched, but laying down which is what it was doing on the 29th. I'm not the expert, but I would imagine this is how a bird would lay when brooding (is that the correct term) eggs. This was late in the day and the falcon was still like this when I left for home so I do not know if she, I will use the female pronouns for now, actually had any eggs she was covering. The sun was also on the opposite side of the building so she wasn't attempting to warm up by sunbathing. I would be interested in knowing your thoughts.

I have attached the original size photo so you can zoom in without loosing too much sharpness. Once I have my tripod in, I will attempt to take some better photos. You might not be able to tell, but this is the exact spot where Charlotte and Jr.'s nest is located. It is behind the glass immediately to the left of the falcon. As you can see, the plastic shopping bag I wrote you about last year is still on the nest.

Regards,
Brett

Brett, you are using brooding correctly. I used to think that brooding was only used in regard to hatchlings, as opposed to eggs, but I looked it up and it's both sitting on eggs and/or sitting on eyasses. :-)

It looks to me that she is sitting on eggs. As Peregrines don't really have much in the way of nesting materials usually, the nest is called a scrape, I'd suggest that her rather mantling stance is her way of sitting eggs in chilly weather.

I love the fact that the plastic bag is still there.

Wish I knew where Charlotte and Junior have gotten to.

Keep it up Brett, I can't wait to see what happens with the Peregrines next!

Best, D

And last but not least, the link for the now famous Iowa Eagle Cam

http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-eagle-nest-cam-watch-040111,0,1096929.story