It was a night of excitement and heartbreak. Excitement to see Bobby the red-tailed hawk again after a weekend away yet heartbreak that the darkness impeded my ability to capture the amazing sights I witnessed.
As I walked around Washington Square Park, I was optimistic I’d spy one of the hawks.
I soon spotted Bobby on a low branch of a nearby tree:
He flew from tree to tree in search of dinner.
The lighting quickly dissipated, leaving my camera to work overtime.
Bobby silhouetted in front of Judson Memorial Church:
At one point he flew off a perch and in my direction to catch prey:
He landed and grabbed at a creature practically at my feet (just behind the bench I was standing by). It was incredible to see his huge body and wide wings fully open as he came in for his landing. The bright light from the nearby lamp illuminated his whole body. It’s just a shame my camera (which was video recording him) was not equipped to capture what I saw. He struggled and felt around with his talons and caught a very small mouse. He instantly flew away with it.
After spending a couple of minutes on a new perch, he hopped off and flew out of sight for the evening.
