I had only just assembled my camera and lens when visiting the Washington Square Park Red-tailed Hawks when I saw one fly from the nest and head to the Judson Memorial Church cross. I had only an instant to snap a photo of the hawk rising up to perch on the cross:
Looked like Bobby but I can’t say for sure:
Engine 24 stopped by and a few of the firefighters put on some gear and walked I think to the park but it was a false alarm of some sort:
The hawk returned to the nest:
It could have been Rosie reentering the nest because Bobby did fly out from the nest ledge and land on a terrace railing across the park:
Flying diagonally over a terrace railing (imagine being on your terrace and seeing him whiz by?):
He flew to the nest:
Rosie took her turn to cavort out and about:
Good scratch:
She looked down and directly at me:
She may wonder what the creature with the one giant eye that regularly looks up at her from the ground is. In actuality, I receive just about the same amount of disregard she has for the other lumbering bipedal land-dwellers.
Rosie dropped down to the area of the park still fenced off for renovation:
Bobst library in the background:
Hawk and woman in same position:
As expected, a large crowd moved in to take photos:
It was a good thing there was a fence separating them and the hawk (for the hawk’s sake). Thanks to my zoom lens, I don’t have to risk getting too close for her comfort.
She hopped in to take a quick bath:
All wet:
Still dripping a little bit:
She hopscotched on several perches before returning to the nest:
Belly feathers still wet:
Rosie on the left, Bobby on the right:
I missed getting an in-focus shot of the amazing sight of Canada Geese flying in Bobby’s direction. At least you get the idea here:
The flock flew overhead and headed northeast:
Bobby flew off the cross and north as well. It was time for his regular long evening break away from the park:
I didn’t seen him again the rest of the night.
Nighttime had descended on the park. Rosie flew back and forth from the nest to the cross three times in a row (less than two minutes between flights). I’m just speculating but I wondered if she did so to stretch her legs and wings before retiring on the nest for the evening or to show herself to Bobby as a way to call him back closer to her or so he’d make himself obvious to her so she would know where he was (or all or none of the above). In either case, it was fascinating to watch:
Stretching her wings and back:
To the cross:
