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

Fledgling then Bobby eating a rat – July 5th, 2013

Bobby was the first Hawk I saw in Washington Square Park this morning.

He was in one of his and Rosie’s favored trees at the western side of the park, above the area still undergoing renovation.

I changed angles and noticed that one of the fledglings was in the tree as well. It was in a lower branch than he:

I moved a little again and then saw that Rosie was in the same tree as well!

She was to the right of the fledgling so it was Bobby, fledgling, Rosie (all on different branches and at varied heights).

Rosie:

The fledgling stretched then walked toward a dead rat that had been left on the branch:

The fledgling began to eat the rat:

Bobby, looking around then stretching:

The fledgling ate for ten minutes before flying off with some of the rat’s innards:

Bobby and Rosie continued resting and preening.

Bobby:

Bobby then flew to the same rat after six minutes:

He then ate for himself:

I watched him eat for close to twenty minutes. It was getting hotter and more humid out so I left him and Rosie to look for the fledglings in the hopes I’d see them before the weather got worse.

I did not get far. Bobby flew from his tree and happened to land in the one at my new spot in the center, western side of the park after a few minutes:

Wiping up post-meal:

Because he was so close, I stopped looking for the other birds to see what he would do next.

He then flew to another tree after five minutes:

Rosie could still be seen in her original tree:

All of a sudden one of the fledglings (I assume the one I had just been watching eat) flew to the tree above me (the same tree Bobby had previously been in):

It was crying as it flew and shortly after it landed but it was not hungry since it had a full crop. The fledglings almost always cry when they fly and land.

Other birds in the vicinity called out in what seemed like a mixture of panic and outrage when the fledgling landed. Some birds scattered and flew away while others faced the fledgling, one of them being a Mockingbird which was ‘yelling’ at and dive-bombing the fledgling:

It eventually left the fledgling alone.

The fledgling settled in to digest so I moved closer to Bobby.

At one point he pecked at a nearby leaf:

He stayed in his tree for nearly an hour before flying in a semicircle past me then through the trees then northward:

I didn’t find him after searching for him in the nearby trees for a bit.

I was feeling uncomfortable with the weather so I started to make my way out of the park but then saw the fledgling land in a new tree the moment I turned around to scan for it and Bobby.

Fledgling:

I watched the fledgling for six minutes before leaving the park for good.

Mystery bouquet on the lawn:


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