I visited Washington Square Park for a couple of hours yesterday the 22nd and saw lots of nice bird and critter activity but sadly did not see either Hawk. However, a fellow devoted Hawk-watcher has seen both Hawks the last few days and this morning.
A White-throated Sparrow taking off from a fence:
Snoozy pigeon on a park path near an empty bench:
Sparrows enjoying a sand bath:
A Hermit Thrush bounced around a lawn strewn with tree fruits:
It had a fine time nibbling random bits it found:
A Robin dashed toward it and bullied it away from its forage spot. In the picture below you can see the Thrush eyeing me a bit cautiously:
Another White-throated Sparrow, with fruit bits on its beak:
I’ve seen this Hornet’s nest outside the library before but the foliage was too thick to get a picture of it until now:
Yellow-rumped Warbler eating on a lawn:
Workers continue to work on the facade just left of the Hawk nest window:
Snoozing pigeon on a lawn near a fence:
Oops, I woke it up with my camera shutter snaps:
I got pretty excited to see a migrating Ovenbird foraging under the brush:
It walked by the resting pigeon (who seemed to barely notice the little guest).
The Ovenbird dug a worm out of the ground:
The Ovenbird made its way back to some cover:
Power-washing being done on the east-facing side of Bobst Library (the Hawk nest is around the corner on the north-facing side):
Update: I’ve removed the live Hawk cam from posts and the home page because the people who run the cam have had it turned off for the last few days. I’ll add the embedded cam back to this site once it’s been turned back on and has been streaming with regularity.
Gosh the work going on near the hawk nest sure makes me nervous!
And do you know why the oven bird is called an oven bird?
As always thank you for the beautiful pictures and the ongoing education. I always cherish both!
I found this quote from the Wikipedia entry for Ovenbirds: “The nest, referred to as the “oven” (which gives the bird its name), is a domed structure placed on the ground, woven from vegetation, and containing a side entrance.” I’m glad you asked because I was wondering the same.
The work going on near the nest is still ridiculously close in my opinion. They need to wrap up the work in that area before the rest of the building in my opinion.
Thanks as always, Shirley!
Have the workmen power-washed the area near the hawk nest yet, or are they going to? I would think that would be a major concern for those of us who care about the hawks. Power-washing with what? Just water? Or are they using some type of cleansing fluid?
I love your photos of the birds, thank you so much. It’s always a treat to see the little sparrows taking a sand bath. And the squirrel is perfectly positioned for his portrait! Love all the beautiful birds!! Carlene
Thanks, Carlene! I don’t know if the workers power-washed near the nest yet or what their plans are. I was called away from Hawking last week and didn’t get to observe the progress. A friend who does most of the Hawk reporting when I’m not in the park has not mentioned seeing any power-washing in that area.
That squirrel was awfully cute sitting and eating as it was. It jumped up a tree right after I took its picture.
Roger thank you for answering. I try to keep up and follow all the goings-on but realize I may miss some important news. Your friend would certainly have noticed “power-washers” near the hawks’ nest. Thanks so much for everything you are doing for the hawks. Carlene
My friends often pass through the park before and after the work has gone on so there may have been power-washing near the nest during that gap time. Unfortunately, the folks who run the live Hawk cam have turned it off during this ‘off-season’ recently so we can’t see any action while Hawkers are away. 🙁
The smallest of the WP creatures seem to be so very trusting ,or maybe they have grown up w/ the hustle of the park and nothing seems to deter them…they even pose for the camera.
Loved the pics and thank you for keeping us informed of the work being done on the building …
so far so good.
Thank you, Jeanne! We should be prepared for the possibility that the renovations are only in phase 1 and that the workers could make multiple passes near the nest if this work is getting done in stages. The permit expires in March of next year so a lot can happen between now and then.