Below is what I posted just before 5:00PM this afternoon before I visited the park:
Thanks to a friend who’s in Washington Square Park now and sending me play-by-plays, I can now share a report of what Bobby and Rosie have been hunting and eating.
2:44PM: Either Bobby or Rosie caught a rat and ate it.
2:53PM: Rosie and Bobby sat together in a tree.
3:02PM: Both Rosie and Bobby began to hunt. Bobby missed catching prey at first. He then flew to a tree by a path on the western side of the park we call the “Pigeon Path” (where locals feed a flock of resident pigeons). Rosie searched for prey in the northwest corner of the park.
3:10PM: Bobby caught a squirrel in the southwest area of the park we call “Quantico”. It’s called that because that is where he taught Pip and his last two kids how to hunt.
3:27PM: Rosie flew by Bobby as he had his squirrel in a tree. Bobby mantled, or protectively covered, his catch with his wings (shielding it from her). She left him.
4:21PM: Rosie hunted in the southwest corner of the park.
4:36PM: Rosie caught a rat inside Quantico.
I hope to be able to leave work soon and get down to the park myself. The rain has held off so far but we have a 50% chance of thunderstorms and rain showers over the next few hours.
Update:
Below is what I observed in the park after work today. It was cloudy but not yet raining.
Bobby was in a tree at Quantico. He avoided a squirrel that was on his branch:
One squirrel jumping to a new branch:
The other squirrel jumping away:
Bobby was pretty relaxed so when a friend called to let me know Rosie was in a tree at the northwestern side of the park, I went right over to see her:
She floated down to a bush across the path seeking prey:
A park regular who feeds the squirrels and pigeons just about every single day was standing close to where Rosie landed. The woman rushed over to Rosie, swinging her bag of squirrel food at her, trying to hit her. As soon as the woman started toward her, I ran over to her yelling, “Don’t attack her! Leave her alone!” But the woman did not stop and tried to get closer to Rosie.
This is her:
Rosie, noticing all the commotion (and hopefully realizing she was in danger), flew to a tree:
When I caught up with the woman I told her to leave Rosie alone, that it was just nature, and that Rosie was going after a rat anyway. She yelled something to me like, “She was going after my squirrels! Oh, yes, nature, it doesn’t belong here! The bird is an imbalance to the park!” I argued back that of course she belongs here, that it’s natural for her to be here but the woman didn’t care what I had to say and kept yelling her stupid, misinformed illogic. I walked away from her telling her there was no reasoning with her. She kept yelling after me but I just ignored her and kept walking and went to Rosie’s tree.
To anyone who goes to the park and recognizes that woman, watch her. She is almost always in the park between 5:00PM – 6:00PM feeding the squirrels and pigeons. She obviously has no inhibitions when it comes to attacking and harassing the Hawks (which is against Park regulations by the way).
As it says in the Parks Department Rules and Regulations:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/rules_and_regulations/rr_1-04.html
§1-04 Prohibited Uses
g. Abuse of Park Animals
1. No person shall within any park (including any zoo area) molest, chase, wound, trap, hunt, shoot, throw missiles at, kill or remove any animal, any nest, or the eggs of any amphibian, reptile or bird; or knowingly buy, receive, have in his or her possession, sell or give away any such animal or egg taken from or killed within any park (including any zoo area).
§1-07 Penalties
a. Any violation of these Rules other than Rule 1-04 (b)(1)(i) shall constitute a misdemeanor triable by the Criminal Court of the City of New York and punishable by not more than ninety days imprisonment or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both, in accordance with §533(a)(9) of Chapter 21 of the New York City Charter.
c. Any violation of these Rules shall also constitute a violation triable by the Environmental Control Board and punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $10,000, in accordance with §533(a)(9) of Chapter 21 of the New York City Charter.
Rosie in her tree:
She flew to another tree further north:
It was lightly raining on and off by then.
She picked at leftovers that were on the branch:
The carcass was stiff and inedible so she tossed it off the branch.
She landed on a railing at Judson Memorial Church then out of sight.
When I got closer to where Rosie had been, I saw Bobby on a roof corner of the NYU Law Building:
He had flown to sit near Rosie who was sitting on an antenna near the back of the building. Bobby on the left:
Rosie had flown south on Sullivan Street. I rushed over to Sullivan but didn’t see her anywhere. I returned to where Bobby had been but he had already left his perch. A friend and I searched for both Hawks for several minutes with no luck.
I meant to check the evening roosts since it was getting dark but my work shoes were pinching my feet so much, I was in too much pain to do so. Instead, I went home right away. It was a rough way to end a pretty upsetting time at the park.