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

Washington Square Park Hawk fledglings’ terrace fun – June 24th, 2018

Mama Sadie Hawk was perched on her southeast flag pole perch when I approached Washington Square Park today. A fellow Hawk-watcher who was already in the park saw one of the fledglings fly to the white Pless building (the NYU building they’ve been located most often the last few days).

Drinking water from a lawn sprinkler:

Squirrel standing drinking from lawn sprinkler, Washington Square Park (NYC)

The small group of us Hawksters spent the next 2 1/2 hours mostly searching the rooftops of the white Pless, neighboring red Pless, Goddard Hall, and Silver Center buildings but we were not seeing the fledglings. We mostly scanned the white Pless building.

During another round of scouting I was searched the block east of the park when a Hawk fly over my street and to an apartment building roof. The angle was not great so I moved to the other side of the building where it was now easy to see one of the fledglings plain as day on a high apartment terrace:

Young fledgling Red-tailed Hawk flying on apartment building terrace, Washington Square Park (NYC)

Bobby flew low over that apartment building and then continued flying southwest:

Adult Red-tailed Hawk flying above city, Bobby of Washington Square Park (NYC)

It seemed obvious to me that Bobby knew exactly where the fledgling was.

The fledgling disappeared and might have been the one I then noticed on another area of the roof:

Another fledgling on a nearby structure:

Young fledgling Red-tailed Hawk sitting near satellite dish, Washington Square Park (NYC)

The fledgling behind the pipes dropped down then walked behind the wall and popped out the other side:

Two Red-tailed Hawk fledglings sitting on apartment building, Washington Square Park (NYC)

It made its way to some greenery and began to attack and play with the leaves and vines:

Young Red-tailed Hawk fledgling playing with apartment terrace greenery, Washington Square Park (NYC)

A third fledgling then showed up. All three together now!

Young fledgling Red-tailed Hawk landing on apartment roof pipes, Washington Square Park (NYC)

The three Hawks in one shot:

‘Hey buddy’:

Two Red-tailed Hawk fledglings sitting together apartment terrace, Washington Square Park (NYC)

Fledgling Washington Square Park flying above apartment building terrace, Washington Square Park (NYC)

Fledgling Red-tailed Hawk flying on apartment building terrace, Washington Square Park (NYC)

Young Red-tailed Hawk sitting on apartment terrace, Washington Square Park (NYC)

Young Red-tailed Hawk playing on apartment building terrace, Washington Square Park (NYC)

Two young Red-tailed Hawk fledglings sitting together by satelite dish, Washington Square Park (NYC)

We had watched the fledglings’ antics for an hour and a half before I had to leave. I heard later on that the fledglings hadn’t budged long after I departed.

Today was the end of my being spoiled into taking it for granted that the fledglings would stick around on the Pless buildings. No, they are now exploring buildings further from the park and I will have to work harder to find them (which is a good thing!).

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12 thoughts on “Washington Square Park Hawk fledglings’ terrace fun – June 24th, 2018

  1. How joyful it is to see them happy, playing, exploring, learning and Surviving in the City! Your superb pictures have enabled us to share in lives that we’d never ordinarily even be aware of. It enhances our delight in the natural world – especially in the urban areas where I presume most of your followers live, as do the hawks! We are grateful to you and to the WSP RTHs for such wonderful voyeurism. Keep it up!…

    1. They really are doing great. The Hawks were so high up on the building, I bet only a few people even knew they were up there (perhaps a few residents and we three Hawk-watchers). Thanks, Susan!

  2. Do the Hawks enjoy one another as “familiar” or as a family unit?
    I was under the impression , that the Hawks did not enjoy any familiarity , but joined the world as Hawks
    surviving in the area they live in …your pics seem to convey a joyful playfulness that I was unaware the Hawks could enjoy together.
    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they do find the company of each other ,provokes a reminder of waking up in the same nest.
    Thanks for the clear beautiful pictures…the “chat community” of the NYU Hawk Cam ,were speaking of your pictures and the fact they are “print worthy” ..to which , I wholeheartedly agree.

      1. I should have known better than think you’d forget about that series with the tennis ball! We were so excited about those pix! They still make me laugh, and the penultimate one, where the baby is looking straight at you and the camera as if to say “Have you got enough now???” is priceless! Also, the struts you capture are so wonderful…oddly, it seems that as they mature they strut less…that it’s a baby walk. Wonderful…best wishes, Heather!

  3. Loved looking back at 2012 …appeared to be a game of,
    “Hey,Bro… tag ! you’re it!”

    Any thoughts of a book about the WSP Hawks?

  4. Thank you so much for the photos of the fledglings playing in the tree. Wow they are having so much fun!! It’s wonderful all three of them are staying together. The photo of the squirrel drinking from the lawn sprinkler is absolutely precious.

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