Red-tailed Hawk landing on nest, Bobst Library, NYU, New York City

Bobby’s baths and Hawk’s dinner – April 19th, 2013

My first Hawk visit was to check in on the Plaza male.

He had been perched on the Plaza Hotel at first but I didn’t see exactly where he had been sitting when I saw him fly from the building’s direction.

He soared a bit over Central Park’s Grand Army Plaza and along 59th Street (just outside Central Park).

Flying past the Ritz-Carlton:

Not a great photo but his markings are identifiable as Plaza Male:

He disappeared over the park trees so I went to Washington Square Park to visit Bobby and Rosie.

Rosie:

Bobby was across the park on One Fifth Avenue:

He hopped off, soared out of view, then returned to One Fifth about twenty minutes later:

He flew to the nest after another twenty minutes:

He exited after four minutes:

He dove right into the western side of the park in the area where pigeons congregate:

The pigeons scattered in panic. He soared above the park then dove down again.

I next saw him as he flew to a building at the southwestern corner of the park seven minutes later:

A Kestrel dive-bombed him for several seconds but otherwise he was in peace.

He perched on that building for another fifty minutes.

He flew off the building, southeast behind the building I was standing next to, then circled around and dove into the park trees again.

I heard him chirping as he flew past and into the trees:

It is rare to hear him chirping. The only times I have heard him do so was when he either had prey in his clutches and he was signaling to his mate or when he was going after prey.

He flew out of the trees and landed on the NYU Law Building (south outside the park):

He took several dips in the rain gutter.

He flew off the building after thirteen minutes:

He then swooped around and soared over the park:

He then landed at Two Fifth Avenue (building along the northern edge of the park):

He landed in the nest since Rosie had apparently just left for a break:

Rosie was just west of the nest, on Judson Memorial Church’s cross:

Rosie collected what was probably a stashed pigeon and brought it to the nest:

One of the Hawks then flew out of the nest with some food in its beak:

I am not 100% sure which Hawk this was since the lighting was poor and I had little time to photograph the flyover but it was nice to see one of the Hawks taking some time out to have a meal:

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