When I was a block from Washington Square Park (at West 4th between Greene and Mercer Streets), I heard a peregrine falcon “yelling” from close-by overhead. I looked up and within a couple of seconds the peregrine and one of the red-tailed hawks were flying overhead. The peregrine was attacking the hawk, hitting its feet during a couple of flybys.
The hawk was uninjured but was obviously annoyed by the falcon since it was trying to fly away from it yet the peregrine came after it a couple of times. The hawk landed on the roof of one of the east-side buildings overlooking the park. The peregrine then left the hawk alone and flew away. I didn’t have my camera and lens assembled yet so wasn’t able to capture the scene. Once I was set up, my first photo was of the peregrine on its regular post atop NYU housing a block south of the park:
Both Bobby and Rosie were together in the park on Sunday afternoon. Bobby was perched in high places the majority of my visit. Rosie was more active on the ground and low branches as she hunted and ate.
Bobby:
Rosie flew around both sides of the park in a more determined and focused way. When she was first becoming familiar with the new territory, she would fly all over the place in search of hunting spots and to otherwise get the feel of the place. She seems to have calmed down a lot lately and takes her time when hunting at her favorite spots.
Rosie:
A crowd gathered close to her to watch her and take photos. It’s a bit lucky she was behind a fenced-in area of the park (which is still under construction) so that she could have some space to eat. The crowd got thicker after I took the photo below:
Bobby on his cross perch while Rosie was on the ground:
Rosie had caught either a rat or mouse:
Arch in the background:
Rosie in a tree, Holley Monument in the foreground:
Bobby left the cross and flew to a building to the east:
He circled around then landed back on the cross:
Rosie flew near him:
I guess she just wanted to say hello to him and to show him where she was.
Rosie in flight again:
Bobby still on his cross on the left:
She landed on a building east of Bobby:
I don’t know what prompted it but she flew at one of the windows in front of her:
She was uninjured though and hopped onto another perch:
Bobby landed on a corner of the Bobst Library:
Rosie flew to the nest:
Bobby did descend to the trees but I was focusing on Rosie’s movements more so I don’t know if Bobby ate before roosting for the night.
Bobby:
Back to following Rosie:
She spent a few minutes trying to break small twigs off but she eventually gave up:
Toward the later part of the day, she flew east out of the park and perched on various buildings along Waverly Place and Greene Street.
I and my two hawk-watching friends last left her perched on this fire escape a block from the park. It was quite dark when we left her and she seemed to be tucked in so it’s pretty safe to assume she spent the night there.
I returned to the park with my hawk-watching companions to look for Bobby and where he may be roosting. He was discovered roosting in the same tree he’d been seen at several times the last couple of weeks. It may have replaced the Red Roost Inn as his primary roost since it is more concealed (meaning the peregrines haven’t discovered him there as far as I know) and the park is much more visible from this roost.
