Our new heat wave has arrived. We had a high of about 88 degrees which doesn’t sound so bad except there was uncomfortable humidity and smog and general city dust and grit to add to the mix. The Hawks were obviously uncomfortable as well as evidenced by their panting and water drinking. However, they carried on as they had to regardless.
Fledgling:
Bobby entered the park and perched in various spots.
Fledgling drinking water from a puddle:
Bobby:
One of the fledglings flew to a roof at NYU’s Law building:
It appeared to drink several gulps of water from a rain gutter.
There are chimney-like structures on the top of the building. The fledgling flew to one of them to eat food that had been stashed there.
Flying to a higher landing after eating:
Either the same or the other fledgling flew to a tree just outside the park:
Stretch:
Because my telephoto zoom was not able to handle the close-range of what happened next, I was not able to photograph the fledgling flying just over the heads of a group of young ladies who were watching the Hawk. A couple of them cried out in shock and excitement at the close flyby. It was pretty funny!
Fledgling continuing on its way:
The fledgling dove into brush:
It rose up and continued flying, empty-taloned:
The fledgling spotted prey again and flew toward it:
Swooping down to a squirrel:
A miss. Was it a half-hearted attempt though? Just practice/fun?
That latest close flyby produced many oohs and ahhs from people nearby!
Crowd taking photos of the perched fledgling:
The fledgling then flew deep into the foliage of a nearby tree and stayed put so I went looking for the other Hawks.
I was not having luck finding them but I did see a lone Cormorant fly above the park from the northeast to the southwest:
I had to leave the park anyway for the night. A Hawk-watching friend called to tell me one of the adults was perched on a water tower grate nearby, where Peregrine Falcons are known to often perch. It is on West 3rd Street, on University housing across the street from NYU’s Schwartz Plaza. I knew the location so rushed over to have a look. It turned out to be Bobby.
The red stone of Bobst Library can be seen on the right:
