The remaining nest Hawk baby who was so terribly attacked by the new male last night was attacked again this afternoon and forced off the nest ledge. I searched for the young Hawk on nearby buildings and trees for an hour but never found it. Neither did my fellow Hawk-watchers but I’ll search for it again tomorrow.
One good update is that the fledgling who was forced out of the nest yesterday by the same male flew to new trees and climbed high up and away from people.
The first Hawk who fledged appears to be doing well and was seen on the eastern roof tops practicing its flying and exploring the buildings.
This new interloper male and mama Sadie Hawk were sitting together on a regular perch not long after I arrived today.
The male is on the left, picking his talons clean after a meal:
Yesterday’s fledgling (who I’ll now refer to as F2 for ‘Fledgling #2’) was still on the same branch she had been perched on since yesterday morning:
She looked great. She would rest, preen, hop, jump, and fly along the branch.
A squirrel or two would approach her on the branch a few times but she would spread her wings and charge at them and they would run away.
Balancing on a thin twig:
The young Hawk who was still in the nest would hop and jump-flap on the ledge like normal between naps. All was going well for it until five hours after I had arrived. It was then when the male Hawk flew in and entered the nest bowl.
In this picture the young Hawk is on the right, crying while the male was in the nest:
The male turned to the Hawk baby and began attacking it:
The male screaming as it walked along the ledge:
The male returned to the nest bowl. Sadie flew into the nest with a new pigeon meal:
The male moved past her and flew out, screaming:
Sadie turned around and picked up the pigeon again and flew it to the low eastern buildings (presumably as a meal for the first fledgling who was up there):
She was gone for literally 14 seconds when the male reappeared and headed right to the baby Hawk again:
The young Hawk maneuvered toward the edge of the nest ledge, its back to the street:
I was scared this was a disastrous position because it had endured attacks in the corners before but this time it had nowhere to escape but backwards into the air.
The male lunged at the young Hawk and sure enough, it leapt to escape him but found itself in mid-air with no ledge to land on:
It was forced to collect itself and fly away (its first ever flight off the ledge):
I could only track their flight path for a couple of seconds before the trees blocked my view. The male circled around and flew back into the park trees but the fledgling was nowhere to be seen.
I thought the fledgling might have flown several buildings west of the nest. I scanned all the buildings on the south side and the park trees on the north side of the street. I couldn’t find the fledgling so I entered a couple of the buildings it may have landed on and left my contact info with gentlemen who were working the front desks to please contact me should anyone find or hear of the fledgling being on their building.
I got the call that F2 had moved from her original tree to a bush near the small dog run so I rushed over.
She was sitting not 6 feet off the ground but in a fenced-off area. That didn’t stop people on the closest walking path from leaning over the fence to put their phone cameras near her to take a picture (some worse than others).
She sat stock still for 45 minutes before turning around and managing to climb her way out of the bush and leap up into the branches of a nearby fir tree.
She then made impressive jumps and flights up the branches, going higher and higher and away from the massive crowd that had formed to gawk at her.
She jumped from the fir tree to a nice leafy tree:
She found a higher branch to rest on. She wowed everyone with her beauty and lots of people asked great questions about the Hawks so it all turned out well.
She even took in brief naps after all the excitement:
I left the park but got a report that around a half hour later she flew across 4th Street and flew to a new tree. She was last seen high in yet another tree in the early evening.
Thank you so much for your excellent documentation of these events. I think we have seen too many Disney and Pixar movies, and have come to expect the female Hawk to have the capacity to understand and react in more human ways. She can’t. And it is hard to watch the hard realities play out in front of us. This male seems bent on ridding his new territory of these young strangers and getting on with his new life with his lady love. I hope their survival is not at risk.
Thanks, Janet. Yes, it has been a difficult few days adjusting to the harsh realities of this completely normal Hawk behavior and having to accept it in our own ways.
Just knowing that you are in and around the park looking out for these little ones is a huge comfort.
Many, many thanks.
Thanks, AAnon. It’s not fun to have to observe all this but it’s important to keep up with the developments and relay them.
Yes. You are wonderful to look after them. Please keep us informed. I hope the nest will not disappear. The whole two months of watching these beautiful creatures has inspired me.
I agree, they are inspiring (and on so many levels). From all appearances so far it looks like Sadie has accepted this male and so we will likely have eggs next spring.
Hi. Love all the photos and updates having followed the family of RTHs all season. Just curious is Sadie = Aurora?
Thanks, Pindie! “Sadie” is what a devoted fellow Hawk-watcher (who has tracked the Hawks with me in the park since the beginning 9 years ago) has named the female WSP Hawk. The Hawk is named after the Horvaths’ daughter (the Horvaths being the amazing wildlife rehabilitators that run WINORR and who helped rescue the third fledgling yesterday). So that’s the name we regular park “Hawkers” have adopted and call her. If other people refer to the female Hawk as “Aurora” that’s cool too!
Thanks RP for documenting so clearly how the new adult tiercel forced #3 eyass off the nest ledge. Upsetting to see such violence, but at same time reassuring to see how well #3 lifted and flew off. From the NYU cam view we couldn’t tell if he flew or fell.
As always (going back to Pip days!) your photos are amazing!
Thanks, I was wondering what you all could see because this last attack happened right under the camera’s blind spot! Although the little Hawk hadn’t fledged on its own it was indeed good to see how it managed to fly a bit before I lost sight of it.
Meanwhile they’re all without their mother. Where’s F1? God save F3. God save them all. This is so upsetting.
Sadie surely knows where each fledgling is. As Bobby Horvath of WINORR (Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation) told me, the young Hawks can survive OK without food for a few days. If all goes well, it should not take Sadie very long to bring food to each fledgling.
F1 has been exploring the rooftops of the buildings lining the eastern side of the park.
Thank you again for your fabulous photographs documenting this unfolding drama. It will be hard to accept this interloper, but if Sadie does we have no choice.
That’s where it gets hairy, doesn’t it? On the one hand we want everything to work out for Bobby’s last brood but it may not end well for them. And on the other hand I think most of us would agree that we want Sadie to fulfill her own destiny and continue to produce beautiful, healthy offspring even if it winds up happening with a male we are not exactly fans of at the moment.
RP – I have been transfixed by the events, and worrying about all the babies…but your posts seem to carry some reassurance that there is hope. To see the comfort with which Sadie now treats her new partner, and then to watch the male violently chase the babies is absolutely breathtaking in its drama. I wish I could understand it better…I do understand it, but I feel so awful for the babies that I’m struck dumb. Rarely do we get to watch drama like this play out…thank you, I wish it would go otherwise, but thank you for persevering. David asked to be remembered to you…it’s been a long time since we’ve seen you, too long. Rena
I’m not so sure I’m feeling the hope you are gleaning from my posts but if they give you comfort that makes me glad. 🙂 Yes, this latest drama is tragic and fascinating all at once. It’s a lot to adjust to but such is life! You and David are often in my thoughts. Thank you!!
What happened to F2
I saw F2 doing super well yesterday. You can read about it in this post.
Thank you so much for all of your coverage during this difficult season, with Bobby going missing and this new T-2 causing all sorts of problems with his aggressive behavior. It has been difficult to watch. I have been watching on the NYU cam and seen much…. you photos from the ground add so much clarity and confirmation of what we see (or do not see) on camera. Than you for all you do for us.
It’s my pleasure, Lisa. There is so much happening in the park and I know I’d be aching to know what’s going on if I were limited to the cam. I’m glad I could help round out bits of the bigger picture.
For sure…. I live in California… this is my second year following the nest…. appreciate all your posts throughout the year as well as during the nesting/breeding season.
RP,
Do u think Bobby Horvath would intercede if one of the fledglings was not being fed, or otherwise not doing well – maybe more battering from new male?
Or will he let nature take it’s course?
I know you can’t speak for him, but I believe you mentioned earlier you have been in contact with him and the 2 park rangers.
I remember several seasons ago, when one of the baby’s was tangled up in the bag, while in the nest. We were all going nuts on the nest cam, and I believe Bobby was going to get involved back then. Miraculously, the baby freed itself of the plastic bag, without help from us!
Thanks for your posts. You are awesome to do this year after year!
Interfering with the family dynamic is not something Bobby Horvath or the park ranger would do. We must not interfere but observe. Now, if one of the Hawks gets hurt and requires treatment, yes, he (and any other rehabilitator) would retrieve the bird and seek medical attention for it and allow it to convalesce (and take the best care of it) until it’s ready to be returned to the park.
It’s so hard not to anthropomorphize the hawks; we’ve been watching their stories unfold for such a long time! You want to say, “Sadie, why are you hanging out with that no-good bully!? Don’t you realize the brute he is??”
Well ha ha, I guess not! Meanwhile, my heart is rooting so much for the fledglings….
It’s never a good idea to apply human values to animals. They live very different lives from our own. Now having said that I wish the new hawk would go away because he has brought nothing but terror and sorrow to this community who loved Bobby so much. And Bobby is gone forever and there is nothing we can do to bring him back. And now his babies are in danger!! Everything was perfect before this hawk appeared.