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

Bobby’s rat in the shade – September 18th, 2013

I watched Bobby and Rosie in one of the shadiest parts of Washington Square Park for about an hour and a half today.

I saw Rosie about half an hour after I had arrived:

Bobby then appeared, flying to a much higher tree branch than hers but in the same area:

Rosie dropped down to low foliage:

She didn’t catch anything.

She then flew to a very low branch. She happened to land in the last tree Violet ever perched in:

She was so fast when she flew off his tree, a couple that was watching her didn’t even register her flight at first:

Bobby then left his branch:

He tried for prey:

No luck:

Rosie stirred and looked at something intently but she didn’t go after it:

Bobby scanned some more:

He dove down and soon flew up with a rat:

The rat must have been fighting for its life because Bobby had to quickly descend to the ground (perhaps to get a better grip on it):

The flash of his red tail feathers marked where he landed:

As predicted, Rosie flew right to him and his food. Bobby escaped her and took his food to a new tree:

Rosie swung around and landed in a tree behind me:

Bobby began to eat:

From what I can tell, Washington Square Park still does not use rodenticide in its rat traps (out of protection for the Hawks).

Rosie watched him eat:

He ate the rat in three minutes.

Wiping up:

Rosie joined him at his tree:

Bobby flew to a nearby tree two minutes later:

Then to another:

Judson Memorial Church’s cross in the distance:

Bobby then flew to the trees further southwest, scaring up the pigeons that live in that section:

Rosie made her way out of the trees (flying east then south):

I waited twenty minutes to see if Bobby would catch one of the pigeons for a later meal:

But he left the park too:

I looked for him and Rosie but didn’t find them again.


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