The Hawk Attacking Squirrel, NYC Juvenile in Morningside Park, Blackwater Eaglets, and San Francisco Peregrines

New York City Tour Guide Pat Gonzalez clicked this photo and named it "Squirrel Suicide". Though looks to the contrary, in actuality the squirrel unless inattentive is perfectly safe.

Why? Because the moment the hawk so much as twitches, squirrel will be on the underside of that branch, they can hang upside down after all, or in another position she'll scoot round the other side of the tree trunk. And in either of those places unless two hawks are working together, squirrel is safe.

Squirrels are usually nabbed running across the ground from one tree to the other.

Sometimes squirrels seem to recognize young hawks and attempt to convince them to head for a different neighborhood. Even mature birds can get the treatment. In fact one evening Lola chose a roost tree in which a squirrel was already in residence. She began to scold, and continued to scold, and it went on and on and on into full dark and beyond. Eventually Lola gave up her attempt to sleep there and changed trees.

Photograph by Robert B. Schmunk

Uptown Hawkwatcher Rob Schmunk followed the hunting activities of the juvenile Red-tail in Morningside Park. The piece is a great lesson in how a near yearling, remember this bird has managed to live through the winter so could be counted as a successful hunter, goes about hunting whatever happens by--over and over again. Take a look.

http://bloomingdalevillage.blogspot.com/

Photo and commentary by Bob McCargar

Just in from contributor and wildlife photographer Bob McCargar, a new pair of San Francisco Peregrines--

Occupying the same building as the fondly remembered George and Gracie, but facing a different direction, a new falcon pair has moved into downtown San Francisco. The female is as yet unnamed, but she just today produced an egg and looks darned proud of it:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3407/3338764384_b85d4145d6_o.jpg

To me, it looks like she's saying "Look what I did!"

Photograph and commentary by Bob McCargar

Here's another shot, taken later in the day––"Night Vigil"––looking at the San Francisco Bay Bridge:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3547/3339511397_9f24cc9179_o.jpg

Bob
(bobdmac on the Tulsa hawk forum)

From R. of Illinois, check out the Blackwater eaglets peeking out from under Mom. (Okay, I'm not really sure it's mom. Eagles have that dreadful habit of looking awfully similar. D.B.)
http://friendsofblackwater.org/wordpress/eagle09/

Donegal Browne

Kay and Jay Update from Cheryl Cavert aka Catgirl of the Tulsa Forum

Photograph by Cheryl Cavert aka Catgirl of the Tulsa Hawk Forum

Earlier this evening, around 7PM, before going to the nest, Kay eats her dinner with gusto!

Tulsa hawkwatcher and photographer Cheryl Cavert sent in this note with her wonderful photographs of Kay and Jay--

Good evening Donegal,
Kay laid her first egg of the 2009 season at 9 pm this evening.

Photograph by Cheryl Cavert aka Catgirl of the Tulsa Hawk Forum

Sunday evening at sunset I noticed them involved in some action in a tree but it was too dark to get any clear photos. So I went looking again today and found them in the same area at 11 am. I've sent along a few photos from their interaction. First they were sitting quietly on the same branch.

Photograph by Cheryl Cavert aka Catgirl of the Tulsa Hawk Forum

Then Jay flew around and landed beside her before hopping on her back.

Photograph by Cheryl Cavert aka Catgirl of the Tulsa Hawk Forum
I always wondered what they did with their talons so they did not rip the female to shreds!!!!!!!!!


Photograph by Cheryl Cavert aka Catgirl of the Tulsa Hawk Forum
(Note Jay's talons appear to be curled under. He is more balancing on Kay rather than gripping her. D.B.)

It was a very long session as at first she did not seem to cooperate. There are more photos at my flickr site (www.flickr.com/photos/cheryls_camera) - about 1 per second!!

Later in the evening at 7 pm, I noticed Kay near the nest eating in a tree - I guess her last meal at leisure!!! (Top photo above)

Hopefully in the morning we will have more live video and another egg?

--Cheryl (aka catgirl)

Thank you Cheryl for all your work and sharing it with us! As to the next egg? It usually takes 24 plus hours for the next egg to be created and laid, so I'd think that on Tuesday or so a second egg might be making its appearance.

Then might she lay yet another?

It seems more common than we'd originally thought for a third egg to be laid. Once positions were found in which we could see into some of the NYC urban nests we realized that a third egg was more often laid than we saw three eyasses because sometimes there is egg attrition. One egg becomes cracked somehow and doesn't develop, or it looks okay but still doesn't hatch, or less commonly a hatch begins but does not complete successfully.

But whatever the case, it's time to celebrate!

HAWK SEASON IS WELL ON ITS WAY IN TULSA!!!

Donegal Browne

THERE'S AN EGG!!! (Jeffery Wright see P.S. one post down)

From Catbird of the Tulsa Forum--

Screen capture is poor because we are not seeing the usual live feed but some juryrigged every-12-minute still that KJRH has rigged for us til they can get the video feed operating again. But THAT is an EGG!

It's OVA!

Hooray! So Kay doesn't overnight, at least not this season anyway, until she's downright ready to lay her first egg.

Kay may be in movement and will sit some lower on this egg, but Red-tailed Hawks only partially incubate eggs until the clutch is completed. When all the eggs are laid, Kay will begin sitting with the eggs next to her skin via her brood patch.

That way, the chicks will hatch closer to each other in time, making the eyasses closer in age and size, than the eggs themselves were laid.

Now the question is, how many eggs will she lay???

D.B.