Today’s Washington Square Park Hawk outing started out in a unique way. I was trying to figure out what some squirrel nesting material was when I heard one of the squirrels make a cry I hadn’t heard before.
It sounded like a warning cry to other squirrels that a predator nearby but it was not the typical cry they use when a Red-tailed Hawk is around. That sound is like a rusty door hinge opening over and over. Today’s cry was a bit different.
The calling squirrel:
I looked all around but did not either of the resident Red-tailed Hawks.
Squirrel hanging out in a tree cavity:
The new squirrel call continued for a couple more minutes. I just happened to notice a bump in a nearby tree and ahhh, mystery solved.
It was a Cooper’s Hawk!
I will have to pay attention next time I’m in the park and see if the squirrel was making a distinctive Cooper’s Hawk warning cry. We already know the squirrels use the same Red-tailed Hawk warning cry.
I was watching the Cooper’s Hawk for about five minutes when I heard a Hawk screaming above us. A young Red-tailed Hawk flew over us:
It was being chased by mama Sadie Hawk. The two Hawks flew east of the park. They circled together for a couple of turns but it was clear Sadie was escorting the young Hawk away from the park. The youngster chirped in a pleading-sounding voice but Sadie had none of it. The youngster flew further east away from the park and Sadie flew north.
The Cooper’s Hawk watched all the action from its tree:
I spotted Bobby sitting on the southwest corner building a few minutes later:
The Cooper’s Hawk looking in Bobby’s direction:
Bobby looking in our direction but it wasn’t clear if he was looking at the Cooper’s Hawk:
The resident Red-tailed Hawks have been tolerant and allowing the Cooper’s Hawks to hunt and perch in the park during my visits lately. I will have to see if they begin chasing the Cooper’s Hawks away once breeding season really kicks in.
The Cooper’s Hawk flew through the trees, past some of the eastern buildings, then returned to the park trees:
The building below is the same one the third fledgling first landed on last June.
Settled down and preening:
Bobby disappeared from his building top around this time. I didn’t see where he went.
Leg kickout:
Park pigeons flying in the distance:
The Cooper’s Hawk flew toward them:
In a new tree:
Chasing pigeons again:
This was not the same Cooper’s Hawk I saw as recently as January 15th. That Hawk’s left wing had a couple of missing feathers. Today’s Cooper’s Hawk was not missing those feathers.
Landing in the tree across from me:
All this action occured over a couple of hours. The Red-tailed Hawks were still away from the park and the Cooper’s looked content so I left for the day.
Ahhhh, poor little juvenile hawk
Would Sadie be more insistent on the Red Tailed Hawk leaving the park ,if it was one of her own “brood”?
Nesting time is coming up and no mama wants a juvenile to “come home to roost” when planning a new family…
But , perhaps hawks do not ascribe to these familial traits…but it does seem , the visiting Cooper’s hawk is allowed to remain today, for whatever reason.
Superb shots of the hawks and it surely looks COLD in the park today.
Hi! From what I’ve seen in the past, the resident Hawks have driven out young stranger Hawks with the same spirit as when they drive away their kin. You do feel a little bad for the visiting Hawks but they all seem to have an understanding and the interactions never get too nasty.
There were some chilly breezes today but it was much warmer and less windy than it has been the last few days so that was a relief!
Fascinating that with the plethora of pigeons available, the Coopers Hawk stays, but the juvey RTHs are expelled. Specific species triumphs, I guess. Looked carefully at the mystery material in the squirrel’s nest – packing stuff? Maybe from discarded garbage someplace in the area? If nest wasn’t too high up, maybe filch a piece to check it out. Second issue: You’re marvelous about the nest of Bobbie & Sadie, squirrel holes – how come we never see any pigeons’ nests? There are SO many of them – where do they nest and raise their young? Great NYC mystery!! Uptown West Side – the smaller birds use the metal hollow crosspieces on traffic lights – we see that all the time, but they are way too small for pigeons. Dress warm out there!
The only pigeon nests I’ve seen have been located on storefronts. They were atop the security gate and behind the store’s signage. It’s a perfect spot hidden from raptors. Other nests are probably in similar spots; set back under building eaves and the like. If you get the right angle you can see the pigeons walking around on the top of the security gate hub. It’s kind of like the Hawks’ window ledge; wide and long enough for them to walk on.
Yes, I’ve seen sparrows all over the city use those hollow crosspieces.
Did you ever see my old post and video of the sparrow nest inside a traffic light? Check them out here!
Thanks so much for the link to the sparrow’s nest inside the traffic light. So much noise in this city, but a mother sparrow ignores it as she feeds her sweet little babies. I’ve seen sparrows on the Upper West Side with nests in these places, but I’ve yet to see a pigeon nest, which would be much larger of course. The elusive pigeon!! I will look more closely at storefronts, security gates and store signage. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a baby pigeon, but I’m aware a baby could look very much like an adult at a certain age. Thank you for the great photos and information!!
Re: Pigeon nests…
I live in Manhattan and have a small airshaft between my building and the one next door. There must be a dozen pigeon nests on different ledges, on top of drain pipes, anywhere that’s slightly sheltered. They have several broods a year. I like pigeons and it’s cute to watch from eggs to little pink fuzzballs, to fledge. They grow very quickly. But the nests are filthy. Unlike our beautiful hawks who know to slice outside of the nest from the time they can stand up, pigeons foul their nests, and anything near their nests. Gross.
Thanks, Janie! I did not know that pigeons foul their nests. That’s pretty unfortunate. It must be so cool to watch from egg-laying to fledging. Thanks for your info!