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

Bobby plucks a pigeon for lunch – September 2nd, 2018

A fellow Hawk-watcher was in Washington Square Park this morning and was relaying exciting Hawk activity to me while I was getting ready to come to the park.

They saw Bobby break off a twig and bring it to the nest, Bobby catch a pigeon and bring it to the nest, and his mate Sadie enter the nest and eat some of the pigeon. I opened the nest cam live stream and caught sight of when one of the Hawks was in the nest:

NYU nest cam Red-tailed Hawk Bobby in nest

Bobby and Sadie then sat together on NYU’s Silver Center (a building along the east border of the park). I was only a couple of blocks away when the Hawks flew away and briefly disappeared. Just my luck!

I was keen on seeing the Hawks today to check on their legs and make sure the green material I saw on Bobby’s ankle August 31st was now gone. I searched for the Hawks a few hours yesterday and did not see either one so that was frustrating.

I was at the western side of the park when a regular park-goer pointed Bobby out to me. He was sitting in a tree across from Judson Memorial Church:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby on tree branch

Washington Square Park Hawk Bobby preening his wing

I watched him sit for about 10 minutes before he flew past me and into the northwest trees. I was able to check his legs and saw they were free and clear:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby flying through trees

Washington Square Park Hawk Bobby sitting on tree branch

Washington Square Hawk Bobby on tree

He would sometimes scan the lawn for prey:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby on branch scanning ground

Washington Square Hawk Bobby diving off branch

He moved from tree to tree for the next 15 minutes. He tugged at twigs now and then but did not snap any off.

Washington Square Hawk Bobby sitting in park trees

Scratch:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby scratching

He set his gaze on prey in the distance and flew right toward it:

Washington Square Park Hawk Bobby sitting in sun

Washington Square Hawk Bobby flying through trees

He snatched a pigeon right from a branch!

Washington Square Hawk Bobby catching pigeon from branch

Bobby brought the pigeon to a couple of trees before settling down and eating it:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby flying with pigeon with talons

Washington Square Hawk Bobby flying with pigeon

Washington Square Hawk Bobby on tree with pigeon prey

Washington Square Hawk Bobby about to jump off branch

Washington Square Hawk Bobby with pigeon prey on branch

Washington Square Hawk Bobby flying with pigeon

Washington Square Hawk Bobby with pigeon on tree

Sadie surprised me by flying overhead and into a tree near Bobby. I didn’t even know she was around:

Washington Square Hawk Sadie sitting on park tree

I was happy to see there was no foreign material on her legs either.

Bobby working on his meal:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby plucking pigeon

Sadie watching a squirrel jump around above her:

Washington Square Hawk Sadie sitting on branch

She turned and watched Bobby:

Washington Square Hawk Sadie sitting on branch

Washington Square Hawk Bobby with wings outstretched pecking pigeon

Washington Square Hawk Bobby plucking pigeon

She then flew even closer to Bobby:

Washington Square Hawks Sadie and Bobby sitting in trees

Washington Square Hawk Bobby sitting on branch with pigeon in talons

Bobby ate for 25 minutes before bringing his catch to a new tree:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby leaping from tree with pigeon

Flying by Sadie:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby with pigeon flying past Sadie

Bobby was much more secluded in his new tree:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby eating pigeon on tree

He ate for another 20 minutes. At one point I heard Sadie scream a few times as she circled over the trees. The Hawks usually scream like that when there is an intruder in the park but I did not see any other Hawk around. But another Hawk-watching friend of mine did see a different Hawk in the park later in the day (more on that below).

  Bobby wiping his beak clean on the tree bark:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby wiping beak on branch

Hopping to a new branch:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby landing on tree branch

Washington Square Hawk Bobby watching squirrel

He returned to the pigeon and had a few more nibbles:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby sitting on tree near dead pigeon

He then dropped the pigeon! It fell onto a children’s playground lawn:

Washington Square Hawk pigeon prey on lawn

Washington Square Hawk pigeon on lawn

There were several youngsters running and playing on the lawn nearby which might be why Bobby didn’t bother to retrieve the pigeon.

Wiping up some more:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby wiping beak on tree branch

He flew to a tree across the path:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby leaping off branch

Washington Square Hawk Bobby sitting high in tree

He was obviously full. He started to rest and looked like he might take a nap:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby sitting on branch

A couple of Park Enforcement Patrol officers discarded the pigeon body from the lawn. It was a shame that Bobby lost the meal but it was definitely the right choice to remove the carcass from where kids play.

The kids asked me all sorts of great questions about the Hawks once they heard the pigeon was a Hawk meal. They asked me if I saw the Hawk catch the pigeon. I said yes and that I had pictures of the catch. They asked to see the photos and were very impressed by Bobby’s skills!

***

Bobby spent nearly an hour in his tree before zipping across the lawn to then rest in the ‘Pigeon Tree’, a tree where the western pigeon flock always gathers:

Washington Square Hawk Bobby relaxing on tree with leg kicked out

I left the park for the day. A few hours later a friend let me know that a fledgling Hawk was in the park. It caught and ate a mouse. It then caught a pigeon later on but dropped it before being able to eat it.

Tis the season for this year’s fledgling Hawks from all over the city and beyond to be exploring the world so it’s possible the fledgling was a visitor rather than one of Bobby and Sadie’s three kids.


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6 thoughts on “Bobby plucks a pigeon for lunch – September 2nd, 2018

  1. What a wonderfully amazing Hawk Day! Such varied activities. Its great that other ‘hawkaholics’ watch for our Bobbie & Sadie and their youngsters, indicating where and when they are seen…great helpers! As always- most grateful for the sharp insights you provide for your admirers…never get enough!

  2. Autumn is approaching and yet the foliage in the park is so lush and green.
    Do you know, if Bobby helps Sadie w/ food when she is free and off the nest?
    I wondered if , in flying closer and closer to Bobby, she hoped to share the pidgin meal?
    What adventures today w/ Bobby and Sadie. Pidgins are fairly good sized birds and yet, look so small , when held in Bobby’s talons.
    Such an opportunity you experienced in teaching the children in the park, of the natural hunt of the hawks w/ your explanation and the wonderful pictures.

    1. Bobby does supply Sadie with food even during the ‘off-season’. He’s a great provider! The Hawks are huge and do make the pigeons look small. It’s awfully nice to be able to get so close to them. Those kids were great; I loved how sophisticated their questions were.

  3. Bobby is such a gorgeous bird. It’s really breathtaking to watch him in your photographs. And it’s painful to think of any of these hawks dying from rodenticide. I don’t know the ins and outs of who can use poison and where, but truthfully it seems to me no poison should ever be used anywhere near nesting red-tail hawks. They are just too precious and beautiful. It’s great that the next generation is getting an education on how these hawks live and breed in the city.

    1. WSP doesn’t put out rodenticide because of the Hawks. They use snap traps and sometimes dry ice in the burrows to suffocate the rats.

      I agree; rodenticide shouldn’t be used anywhere near them. Luckily for us, the WSP Hawks eat a lot of pigeon. When they hunt the park rats it’s mostly at night time (when the rats come out in number to forage above ground).

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