Hawk matings and pigeon feast – February 24th, 2020

Today’s Washington Square Park outing was one for the ages. Juno and Sadie were in top form; mating twice, catching prey, and sharing the meal. A fellow Hawk-watcher and I spent four hours watching all the action.

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Loud Blue Jays called my attention to a tree outside the Hawk nest when I arrived in the park.

I scanned the area and saw that they were fussing over Juno:

The Jays were mobbing him so he left the park and flew a block south.

I caught up with him as he perched and preened on an apartment building the Hawks have rested on in the past:

He flew across the facade and landed on the far corner:

I looked through my site and found this post from 2014 when that year’s fledglings played on the same building. You’ll have to scroll down to photo #44(!) to see the start of that sequence.

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Juno was intently watching prey beneath him. He dove down, flew across the street, then landed on a new roof.

He turned and looked down at the same prey:

He then flew back to Washington Square Park.

I returned as well to look for him. I peeked in the nest and saw Sadie sitting in the nest bowl.

With a stick in her beak as she did some tidying up:

She eventually flew out of the nest and landed on the building behind me (NYU’s Silver Center building):

Hello?

Juno reappeared. He flew into the nest:

He busied himself in the nest then flew out and landed right on top of Sadie:

Their mating only lasted a few seconds:

Juno on the far left, Sadie on the right:

Juno rested on the building then flew to the trees again:

Hello:

He moved to a new tree. A squirrel walked over to Juno and charged him but Juno just looked at him:

Juno then fluffed and shook his feathers at the squirrel, spooking it away:

Juno went to yet another couple of trees then brought a twig to the nest.

He flew out and mated with Sadie again:

Juno flew to the opposite side of the building.

Sadie stayed on her perch:

Juno then flew across the north side of the park and landed on one of the Two Fifth Avenue terraces (the park arch in the foreground in the picture below):

He sunned, preened, and spotted prey from this new perch.

He saw some prey that looked good and dove down toward it:

But he changed his mind, righted himself, then flew to a tree just east of the park fountain.

He sat in this tree for a while (and got bullied by another squirrel) before eventually diving straight down to the lawn below.

He had captured a pigeon.

It was a warm and beautiful day today and the park was packed. Many people spotted Juno and would stand at the fence and video/photograph him. This happened in waves.

I kept my distance and took very few pictures so as not to call attention to Juno because of his vulnerable location.

Juno dragged his pigeon a few feet further away from the crowd then resumed eating:

A Turkey Vulture appeared and circled above Juno’s general area of the park.

The vulture zeroed in and circled tightly high above Juno’s location:

It must have been licking its chops, anticipating getting some of that meal once Juno was finished with it. But the vulture widened its circling and moved on from the park.

Juno finished eating his share of the pigeon.

He then lifted up the body and flew right above the crowd and out of the park:

Juno landed on a building just south of the park:

He began to cry extremely loudly, calling Sadie to the meal.

Sadie flew to and landed on a higher roof and looked down at him:

She flew right to him. He continued his calling after she had landed.

He’s on the right in the picture below:

Sadie gathered the meal from him:

Juno flew right to the park and let out a tremendous ‘yell’ as he entered the park. It was such a boisterous “hear me roar” call.

Sadie followed behind him after a few seconds:

Juno proved himself to be an excellent provider for her.

She brought the pigeon to a tree next to his:

Juno:

Sadie about to eat her share:

All was well with the Hawks so my friend and I left for the day.