A fellow Hawk-watcher alerted me to the location of one of the fledglings as I arrived at Washington Square Park today. The bird was walking along the gutter of a building at the eastern side of the park. The top of the Hawk’s head is just visible to the left of the center column in the photo below:
The gutter might be a regular food drop location because the fledgling would dip into it to pick at something. At one point it held up a bird leg in its beak then walked along the gutter with it:
I was instantly reminded of when I recorded Pip walking along the gutter in June, 2011:
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We watched the fledgling for a few minutes.
I heard Robins in the trees behind us going crazy with loud, angry calls. I walked over to their tree to investigate and saw the reason for their being upset; Rosie was on a branch near them. She was in the tree my friend and I happened to be standing under when watching the fledgling!
She was hunting.
She flew to a new tree north of us.
I went back to the fledgling.
I had to leave the park for a little while for an appointment. As I made my way out I saw Rosie and Bobby on a building along the western side of the park. A Falcon dove at Bobby. They were too close to its territory. The Hawks almost always get dive-bombed when they are on buildings along the western side of the park.
Rosie on the left, Bobby on the right-hand corner:
Back in the park an hour later.
Rosie had just delivered food to the fledglings at the eastern buildings and then perched on a water tower overlooking the eating babes.
One of the fledglings that was not having the meal went to Rosie to beg:
It walked around her, turned around, then faced her directly as if to ask, ‘You really, really don’t have anything for me?’
It flew to a spot across the way:
It is pretty remarkable how all the fledglings from the past two years hang out and play on the same buildings at first.
Here is a photo I took of last year’s fledglings at the same structures last year:
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Its sibling rose into view:
It had just finished eating on top of the white structure behind it with its sibling (who was still eating).
It hopped and flew around the railing like it was part of a jungle gym (just as one of last year’s fledglings did as well):
Dark coloration around the eye reminding me of mom Rosie:
It joined the first fledgling on the tan structure:
The library sign below the nest, complete with white Hawk poop:
The third fledgling finished eating and started play-hopping and flying as well:
It took the place of the fledgling that had been sitting atop the tan structure earlier:
Stretch:
Flying south to a neighboring building top:
Flying back to the tan structure nearly ten minutes later:
The sibling that had previously been on the tan structure had dropped down to the white one again and was playing and practicing attack pounces:
All three kids together:
