I saw a Washington Square Park Hawk fledgling today for a few precious seconds. I realized by its markings that it was the same fledgling I saw on July 30th (the last time I’ve seen one of the youngsters).
It’s the only fledgling I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks. The last time I’ve seen either of the other two fledglings was on July 21st.
A nice pigeon was hanging about as I sat and ate a snack early in my visit:
Speckled moo cow:
I finished eating, walked a few paces, then saw what I at first thought was a Cormorant flapping north over the park square. I noticed it was flying a bit low. I then realized it was actually a Red-tailed Hawk! A fledgling at that:
It cried on and off as it flew. It turned around and flew back over the square:
It flew southward and descended behind a building affectionately referred to as “the barn”:
A dragonfly (seen left in the photo below) was flying the same course:
Where the fledgling flew to was a mystery because I could not find it. But I was glad to have seen the fledgling one more time before it eventually leaves the park for good.
Gone…for good?
When is the approximate time of “dismissal” for our fledglings?
I attempted to see the dragonfly ,even using a magnifying glass , and could find nothing in the picture.
I have never seen a pigeon ,w/ such different markings ,as the one in your first pictures…pretty ruffled wing feathers.
Thanks for the pictures ,especially of our elusive fledgling hawk.
Hi. Typically the fledglings are last seen in or around the park in early to mid August. That’s usually the case but it also depends on when the Hawks fledged. In some years it’s been late July.
Sorry you couldn’t see the dragonfly. I admit it is very small in the picture. I even debated mentioning it. You can see it being pointed out in this edited pic! I hope it helps! 😀
Roger_paw,
your site reply posting is changed …is there a reason and is it permanent?
I usually do not need to type in my name and E-mail each comment.
Thanks for letting me know! I asked my webmaster look into this. He’s working on fixing this issue and we hope it can be sorted out as soon as possible!
Update: This should be fixed now! Next time you are about to leave a comment, be sure to check the box that allows the site to remember your name and email.
Saw the dragonfly in the edited picture…however, how large is the dragonfly?!
I am flabergasted, I can see the dragonfly in the distance in the picture.
We are speaking about the buzzing insect ,aren’t we?
How in the world , did you manage to “capture” this elusive ,supercharged flying winged thing?
I couldn’t see the dragonfly either, but then thought – maybe it’s a different kind of bird I never heard of…. The “moo cow” pigeon is very interesting, and a color and marking I’ve never seen before. I really appreciate the “extra” birds and animals you send us! As always, thanks for the time and effort you take in order to bring us your beautiful pictures!
Thanks, Shirley! There is another pigeon that I’ve taken a liking to. I’ll try to get a good photo of her next time I see her. She’s got a nice amount of variegated browns in her feathers.
Pigeons with this unusual coloring are virtually always bred pigeons. There are rooftop pens in NYC where pigeons are bred for various reasons, unfortunately for some pigeons, religious sacrifice. Sometimes they escape!
Thanks for your insight, Bob! It’s much appreciated.
Wow, that dragonfly shows up detailed enough for me to see wings & legs….amazing! I love seeing the varied wildlife in the city. Very happy you got a picture of one of the fledglings. It looks very capable and mature so hope it has a long life ahead of it, wherever it heads off to. Thank you.
Thanks, Patricia! Yes, I’m optimistic the fledgling is going to do great.