Red-tailed Hawk landing on nest, Bobst Library, NYU, New York City

Bobby and Rosie nearly inseparable – February 11, 2012

Bobby and Rosie were perched near each other or in each other’s view most of the afternoon today in Washington Square Park.

The hawks did not hunt and eat in the park during my stay (a three hour visit). Instead, they perched high above the trees, on various buildings along the park nearly the whole time I was there.

Bobby on a building along the south side of the park (NYU’s Kimmel Center):

Rosie in a tree:

Bobby landed on one of the antennas on a building along the eastern side of the park (NYU’s Education Building):

Rosie on the corner of a building on the northeast corner of the park (NYU’s Silver Center for Arts and Science Building):

Left leg stretch:

Right leg stretch:

She was pretty full as evidenced by her full crop:

Rosie then landed on the building diagonally across from the southeast corner of the park (NYU’s Shimkin Hall & Jeffrey S. Gould Welcome Center):

She rounded the corner, heading further east:

I found her on the West 4th Street side of the building which houses the round white antennas (NYU’s Education Building):

Bobby walked closer to her (he’s on the right). He had been hidden from view for a while until he approached her:

They both took turns flying off the building:

Rosie appeared on one of the white antennas:

Bobby was on the Judson Memorial Church cross:

He endured harassment from a peregrine falcon for a couple of minutes:

He flew east:

A peregrine gave chase, striking him once on his journey:

He landed on a corner of the Silver building (east-side of the park):

He took off after a few minutes:

Rosie reappeared, flew above the park in a few circles, then flew to a roof top garden and pecked at some small potted trees before going to the nest.

She brought some of the plant material to the nest. It was fun to see her using the urban elements for her nest.

Bobby was back on the West 4th Street side of the antenna building (NYU’s Education Building):

Rosie flew to Two Fifth Avenue, a building at the north side of the park:

Bobby still in place:

Rosie:

The quality of the following photos aren’t great but show her flight from one terrace to another:

I left Rosie to see what Bobby was up to:

He and Rosie stayed on their perches for a good half hour.

I was standing under the nest at Bobst Library at the time:

Crinkle wing:

Rosie noticed his flight and came by to join him, circling above in the sky first:

Bobby shrunk down as she came in for her landing on the antenna beside his:

She had a rat in her talons. It was not clear if she brought the rat to the disk or if it was left there by one of the hawks earlier:

She brought it further east, then north and out of sight:

Bobby left his own perch and disappeared northeast (generally in her direction):

I believe it was Rosie who was seen hop-scotching among various buildings before flying down West 3rd street (as is her routine) and out of sight for the evening. Her evening roost’s location is still a mystery.

Since the hawk was nowhere to be seen, I went to Bobby’s most regular roost of late and found him peacefully tucked in:


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