I was walking to Washington Square Park noticing a particular water tower topper and remembered how comical it used to be when we would get tricked into thinking a topper was one of our Red-tailed Hawks.
I reached the park after a few minutes and lo and behold, Rosie was on a water tower topper!
She flew behind the building in front of me.
All of a sudden Bobby (who must have been perched in a tree right behind me – even though I looked around for him and didn’t see him) flew overhead and to where Rosie went:
I spotted one of the Hawks a few minutes later. It was perched on a familiar building topper:
Sitting near oblivious workers:
One Hawk then flew over Bobst Library, heading south. The other Hawk then immediately appeared and followed its mate, flying the same route.
A fellow Hawk-watcher and I figured we should go follow them and not wait for them to return to the park area because they seemed to be up to something.
I spotted who turned out to be Rosie sitting on a roof top grate. She was facing away from us (side of Bobst Library on the left):
She was sitting on NYU housing, facing a treed courtyard pigeons flock to. There is another NYU housing building across the courtyard where Peregrine Falcons often hang out. One of the Peregrines often perches on that other building’s roof top grate. I’d seen a Falcon chase then catch one of the pigeons about a year ago.
They are probably the same Peregrines that harass the WSP Hawks on occasion. We suspect their nest may be on or near that other NYU Housing building and that they dive-bomb the Hawks when they get too close to their territory. There hasn’t been much dive-bombing lately but that’s probably because this is the quiet time before the springtime eggs are laid.
Within a minute Bobby appeared, flying toward Bobst with a pigeon in his talons:
Rosie joined him soon after his landing. She took the meal. Bobby, being the great provider he is, stepped aside without a fight and let her eat first.
He landed on Kimmel Center (an NYU building across the street):
His new perch was in eye shot of Rosie:
Rosie flew off Bobst after a while, bringing the bulk of the pigeon body with her:
She was flying toward the park.
Bobby then followed her.
I then saw one of the Hawks sitting on the corner of NYU’s Silver Center (a building diagonally across the park and Bobby’s Kimmel Center perch).
The Hawk flew between buildings along Washington Place (flying between Washington Square East and Greene Street). The other Hawk followed:
Bobby was then eating the pigeon atop a building at the corner of Greene Street:
Rosie flew from the north, over Washington Place, and to a lower perch of his building:
She flew back and forth between two columns:
She finally settled onto one of the columns:
Bobby finished eating and flew across Washington Place and to a building at the corner of Mercer Street:
He was towing the pigeon:
Rosie then flew closer to him:
We couldn’t see Bobby anymore, it was so dark.
Rosie eventually flew away and into the darkness herself:
Rosie and Bobby have been well the last few days as Hawk-watchers who can visit the park while I’m at work have reported to me. 🙂