Bobby was high up One Fifth Avenue when I arrived at Washington Square Park to visit its Red-tailed Hawks.
Rosie soared relatively low above the park square with a squirrel catch in her talons:
She made several trips above the square:
Park arch on the left:
Flying across buildings lining the east:
She disappeared out of sight for a couple of minutes.
Bobby quickly flew to the nest:
Rosie followed with her squirrel for the kids:
Rosie started to feed the babies. Bobby left and disappeared north of the park:
Rosie took a break from the nest and landed on NYU’s Silver Center (east of the park):
She landed on the Judson Memorial Church cross (southern end of the park):
She flew pretty close above me which was really exciting:
Back at Silver:
After soaring above the square a few times, she headed to one of her favorite perches on Two Fifth Avenue (north side of park):
Hello:
She sat in the same place for several minutes preening and relaxing and otherwise looking around. She glanced up toward the nest.I turned around and saw Bobby, freshly landed in the nest:
It didn’t take long for Rosie to join him:
Bobby departed then perched on the cross:
Cormorant passing by:
Flying in front of One Fifth Avenue:
He swooped above the park a few times before flying a few blocks east and landing on antennas he has perched on many times before. It’s the highest point at the northeast (whereas One Fifth Avenue is the highest point at the northern side of the park).
One of the babies flapped its wings for exercise/fun:
Bobby had left the antenna perch while I was photographing the young hawk. I saw him again when he rose up from a block south of the park. He was flying behind the library, leading a dive-bombing Kestrel or Peregrine Falcon eastward:
He escaped the falcon and landed atop One Fifth Avenue again:
Bobby landing again on One Fifth:
Rosie flew to Silver again:
She flew toward One Fifth (Bobby is seen sitting on his ledge):
Rosie landed on a section below him:
Bobby looking down at her:
She flew to and behind Two Fifth (where she was seated on a terrace earlier):
She joined Bobby on One Fifth:
After a couple of minutes he flew off, circled the eastern side of the park, then returned to Rosie:
Again:
A plane flew low near the eastern side of the park:
Bobby flew off One Fifth and either into the trees or the nest. I couldn’t tell from my vantage point:
Rosie followed:
I couldn’t tell who was in the nest:
When I got into a better spot from which to photograph, Bobby flew past me and landed on the park arch:
He might have been looking for leftovers. He flew off the arch and into park trees at the eastern side of the park:
He was scanning for prey but did not attempt to catch anything. He then flew to a tree further east. As I walked in his direction, Rosie flew overhead with a big morsel in her beak. Sadly, she flew too fast for me to photograph but I did spot her on the side of Silver:
She ate her meal on the top of the building for a couple of minutes. I kept an eye open to search for Bobby in his new tree but the foliage was so thick, I could not find him in the dark.
Feaking, or wiping her beak clean:
It’s funny how the birds don’t mind using buildings to wipe their mouths with. They do use tree branches as well if they are eating in a tree but I think I’ve seen them use buildings most of all.
She returned to the nest:
I saw her land in the nest but it was too dark and the foliage too thick for me to capture in a photo.
I gave up looking for Bobby in the tree so I walked along the southern side of the park toward the subway. My plan was to stop by the Red Roost Inn to see if maybe Bobby flew there without my seeing him. It was already night time at this point. To my shock and delight, Bobby flew alongside me (no more than twenty feet distance from me) on my right, past me, and toward the trees outside Judson Memorial Church. He was a silent, dark silhouette. It was pretty magical.
I scanned the trees he looked to be headed for but could not see him (if he were there). I turned around and as if on cue, he flew to and landed on the smaller of Judson Church’s two crosses.
He then flew in the direction of the Red Roost Inn:
I ran to the roost since it was getting darker and darker and the chances of being able to photograph him at the roost were getting slimmer. Thankfully, he was indeed at the roost and I could take a few shots of him all tucked in:
It’s always great when I can see first-hand that the hawks are safe and sound for yet another night.