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

Multiple raptors visit Washington Square – December 12th, 2018

Within the course of an hour in Washington Square Park today I saw the resident female Red-tailed Hawk (Sadie), a Cooper’s Hawk, a young Red-tailed Hawk, and a Peregrine Falcon. It was quite the raptor fest!

Sadie was circling over the eastern side of the park when I arrived. She was looking down into the trees:

Washington Square Park Hawk female Sadie flying above the park

Washington Square Park Hawk female Sadie flying above the park

She eventually landed on the One Fifth Avenue apartment building:

Washington Square Park Hawk female Sadie sitting on One Fifth

Preening:

Washington Square Park Hawk female Sadie preening on One Fifth

Washington Square Park Hawk One Fifth

Pigeons were flying as though they were fleeing a pursuer but it was not Sadie who was chasing them.

It was a Cooper’s Hawk that was making them flee (perhaps the same one I last saw in the park on December 1st).

It landed high into a tree:

Cooper's Hawk sitting in Washington Square Park tree

Cooper's Hawk sitting in Washington Square Park tree

I looked to see if Sadie might have noticed the Cooper’s Hawk below her but she was gone from her perch.

The Cooper’s Hawk spent the next three minutes flying from tree to tree (and branch to branch) before it flew south out of the park. It moved so fast, I could barely keep up with it as it flew. It flew faster than the juvenile Red-tailed Hawks typically do when they play among the trees.

Cooper's Hawk diving down from tree

Cooper's Hawk flying through Washington Square Park trees

Cooper's Hawk flying through Washington Square Park trees

Cooper's Hawk in Washington Square Park tree

Cooper's Hawk about to leap from a tree

Cooper's Hawk with legs outstretched to land in tree

Cooper's Hawk landing in tree

Cooper's Hawk sitting in a tree

The Cooper’s Hawk flew to the block south of the park and turned the corner behind a building, disappearing from sight.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker foraging in a tree:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker walking on a tree

Note the holes in the tree above its head:

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker digging into a tree

A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was the next raptor I saw. It circled very high over the park at first. It then did lower fly-bys along the park then flew far south.

Its belly band was quite dark and reminded me of the young Hawk I saw fly a similar course on December 5th.

Young Red-tailed Hawk flying above Washington Square Park

Young Red-tailed Hawk flying above Washington Square Park

Flying over One Fifth at one point:

Young Red-tailed Hawk flying above One Fifth Avenue

The next visitor was a Peregrine Falcon circling the southeastern corner of the park. It then tucked into incredibly fast dives before flying south of the park:

Peregrine Falcon flying over Washington Square Park

Peregrine Falcon flying over Washington Square Park

Peregrine Falcon diving over Washington Square Park

The Hawk nest looking well:

Washington Square Park Hawk nest


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7 thoughts on “Multiple raptors visit Washington Square – December 12th, 2018

  1. I love it when you capture the dive and bullet tuck of the birds in the park, Roger_Paw.
    I wonder if they enjoy the sensation of speed and wind on their feathers or if they are just being
    diving raptors and traveling to their destination?

    1. Thanks! It’s really difficult to track Cooper’s Hawks because they will rise then drop down a bit then rise again sometimes before landing. It’s a fun challenge for me though. They are so fun to watch.

  2. Good morning! Are we to assume then that all of the scaffolding on the nest side of the bldg. is now gone? Hawks should start nestorations in Jan., correct? That’s close…Don’t want them to be scared off by work.

    1. Hi, the scaffolding is still away from the nest and is secured to a different facade now. Yes, the Hawks will start to retorfiy the nest with more frequency starting in January. That is what I have observed every year.

  3. The Peregrine Falcon! They are capable of speeds of 242 mph!! While New York City is as unnatural a place as anywhere on Earth, it has the highest density of nesting peregrines on the planet due to abundant wild prey such as pigeons and rodents. What a great day to see raptors! Cooper’s Hawk and a juvenile red-tailed hawk and a falcon in one day. Great photographs! Thank you also for the photo of the nest. It looks good and undisturbed. It’s a relief to see no scaffolding anywhere near it. Many thanks Roger_Paw.

    1. It really was a tremendous day. There are raptors all around the park and city in general but it’s always a treat to see one. They are such a contrast to the ‘modern’ sights of buildings, sidewalks, and street lamps, etc.

      1. Yes that is precisely why it’s so incredible the Peregrine Falcons have made New York City their home. We live in “modern” buildings and streets of concrete, but the falcon loves it here because of abundant prey all year round in any kind of weather. I was watching a David Attenborough Planet Earth special on Cities, and he devoted part of the program to the Peregrine Falcons of NYC. Thanks Roger_Paw so much for reading and writing. Carlene

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