I got to spend some quality time with Mama Sadie Hawk right outside Washington Square Park this morning.
I first spotted her on the eastern flag pole closest to the nest:
Scratch:
Another scratch a minute later:
She hopped off her perch after 8 minutes:
She circled in front of her perch for a few rounds before heading south:
She was easy to find because she was just one block over, on the water tower behind Bobst Library (location of the nest):
A kestrel dive-bombed her ten minutes later:
I watched her on this perch for half an hour but she seemed settled in so I went to the park grounds to look for Bobby (and perhaps the fledgling?).
The lawn behind one of the removed trees gets soaked with sun now:
I was shocked to discover two more western trees completely removed from the park (a tree this year’s fledgling cavorted in a few times) and the humungous tree at the park’s southwestern corner entrance.
A regular park-goer told me that corner tree (a London Plane) was hollow inside so it’s just as well it was removed but it was a truly glorious tree in all its hugeness and greenery.
***
I wasn’t finding any other Hawks so I returned to Sadie after 20 minutes:
It was extraordinary luck because she hopped off mere seconds after I returned:
She circled over that building complex’s garden then flew back toward Washington Square Park:
Turns out she was back on her water tower perch:
Off after 3 minutes:
I caught up with her as she flew over the park and landed on her northwestern building perch:
I relocated to get an even better view but she was gone by the time I was ready to photograph her again. I looked for her and Bobby for several more minutes before leaving for the day. It was delightful to spend so much time with her after so long.