I hadn’t seen Rosie for the last few days so I began to wonder if she was out and about on her own like Violet was last year after Pip had fledged. With her maternal duties relatively over for the season, Rosie has been free to galavant about other parts of the city near Washington Square Park.
I received a tip late this afternoon that Rosie had been seen in Union Square Park (USP) today. USP is eight or nine blocks north of Washington Square Park (depending on which entrance you go to). I went to investigate with a friend after work and there she was! Apparently she had attacked and killed a squirrel a little more than an hour before I had arrived.
Street signs in the distance marking where Rosie’s tree was:
Union Square Park is not a stranger to Hawks. Bobby brought Pip there often last summer to further train her how to hunt for prey. Several Hawks have been spotted passing through the park and hunting and eating many times.
A couple of curious ladies approached me and told me they saw her catch and kill a rat fifteen minutes earlier.
Hello:
Someone tossed a piece of meat on the path near Rosie. I never saw who did so and I had to wonder if they meant it for Rosie to eat:
As soon as Rosie landed on the ground a young lady sitting nearby got scared and gathered her things and scrambled away. It was pretty funny to watch.
Rosie hopped up and flew to a tree further south:
Note the American Eagle logo:
She ate the little mouse:
She went chasing a small bird then swooped around and returned to the trees:
After hopping about from tree branch to tree branch, she finally found a place where she seemed to tuck in. I’m not sure if she stayed in that tree to roost overnight but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did.
Although I didn’t visit Washington Square Park on the 10th or the 11th, I know from reports from other faithful Hawk-watchers that Bobby and the two fledglings are doing well.