[Snowbody]

Let me preface this by saying I know that many SM members really hate hawks because they are a peril to our little ones in certain parts of the country and I totally agree with the fear of these birds swooping down at our little ones.
But I just wanted to share something that's been special in NYC and that has been a couple of red-tailed hawks (and they are a couple) who have seen a lot of heartbreak as parents.
I started to learn of them in Riverside Park (next to the Hudson River) three years ago when my DH was home and heard something on our air conditioner. He pulled back the curtain to see a hawk sitting on it outside our high floor apt. I did a little digging and found out there was a nest 6 blocks from us.
Some of you may remember the hawk Pale Male, famous for living on a 5th Avenue co-op with his mate Lola and being chased off by the co-op board (with spikes put where their nest was), with their nest being destroyed. Lots of people including Mary Tyler Moore came to the birds' defense (she lived there) and they have rebuilt since the spikes was taken off. There's a fabulous documentary called "The Legend of Pale Male" that's a must see to anyone who loves animals and birds.
Anyway, a photographer, named Lincoln followed and fought for those two hawks and is a champion of the riverside ones, who may or may not be offspring of PaleMale and Lola. Well three years ago there was a storm and shortly thereafter their 3 babies, called eeyasses died. Poisoned by pigeons their parents fed them who had rat poison that the parks dept laid down. All three died and necropsies were performed.
Then last year, the couple built a new nest. I watched for a couple of months as 3 babies were born, and then fledged. So exciting. BUT two of them flew too low over the nearby highway and were struck and killed. One eyass survived and thrived and we believe went on to start his or her own family.

This year, another birth near the second site and a huge storm struck and the nest blew down and three babies were killed again. So much heartbreak for this one couple. Well they mated again this season and now have two eyasses. I find all this fascinating and here are pix of them. Lincoln's a pro photog who works professionally for a news org but his life is the birds in the city. His work is breathtaking. I thought I'd share the shots with the link below.
WARNING: THERE MAY BE SOME GRAPHIC NATURE SHOTS OF MOTHERS FEEDING THE BABIES
August 1, 2010 (Riverside Park)

 

[MaryH]

Absolutely fascinating!! Thanks, Sue, for sharing the story and the pictures. The babies are beautiful and momma looks to caring and protective. There's one thing I know for sure ... I wouldn't want to have to trim those nails!!

 

[Snowbody]

Absolutely fascinating!! Thanks, Sue, for sharing the story and the pictures. The babies are beautiful and momma looks to caring and protective. There's one thing I know for sure ... I wouldn't want to have to trim those nails!!

Thanks Mary. And I love the pictures of the parents. They're so majestic. Problem is one of the places mom and dad like to hang out is on the lamppost over the West Side Highway :w00t: as you can see. That's how one baby died...trying to fly to where the parents were but not getting enough loft. They really are beautiful. And the nails -- I think they're overdue at the nail salon.:HistericalSmiley:

 

[michellerobison]

I don't hate hawks or anything else in nature that could cause peril to our fluffs.I figure they're there in nature,doing what they do,no malice. We're encraoching on their territory so we're the ones who need to be responsible and not invite a tradegy.
It's up to us as responsible and vigilant fur parents to keep watch over our little ones.
I wouldn't destroy a wild animal worrying that it might attack my fluffs. I would kill it as a last resort if it was heading towards or attacking my fluffs. But I would never do "pre-emptive strike".

I think the hawk family is facinating. We have red tailed hawks all over near us,plenty of food around they haven't even circled our fluffs. I don't leave them unattended,you never know what might be eyeballing them for a snack...

 

[Maglily]

I love birds and trying to photograph them. Love that third last shot. I think It must have been nervewracking watching them trying to survive that busy area. I must admit I skimmed thru the feeding pics, but didn't see anything to bother me but thanks for the warning. I love seeing mother birds and their chicks, it is the sweetest thing, especially when the babies get as big as the mothers and look like big teenagers.
They are intesting to watch but I can understand the fear if they lived so close to me and were a threat to our pets.

 

[MalteseJane]

Beautiful ! :wub:

 

[Matilda's mommy]

the story is sad, I feel for wildlife they are being pushed out of their area's and end up around people and guess who loses:huh: the pictures are amazine. I see many red tail hawks here and in AZ but those pictures are absolutely beautiful

 

[mom2bijou]

Please do not give those hawks my address because they will certainly want to nest in my yard and therefore begin hunting B&E! The red tails and bald eagles in my yard need to venture to your neck of the woods! Just kidding, well sort of. I just fear them for the fluffs sake but they are beautiful to see! I feel terrible for the NYC hawks trying to have babies and raise them in the city. It can't be peaceful for them at all. I hope these little ones make it. The pics were beautiful! Thank you sharing Sue (and letting me get a close up of B&E's stalkers lol)!

 

[Snowbody]

I don't hate hawks or anything else in nature that could cause peril to our fluffs.I figure they're there in nature,doing what they do,no malice. We're encraoching on their territory so we're the ones who need to be responsible and not invite a tradegy.
It's up to us as responsible and vigilant fur parents to keep watch over our little ones.
I wouldn't destroy a wild animal worrying that it might attack my fluffs. I would kill it as a last resort if it was heading towards or attacking my fluffs. But I would never do "pre-emptive strike".

I think the hawk family is facinating. We have red tailed hawks all over near us,plenty of food around they haven't even circled our fluffs. I don't leave them unattended,you never know what might be eyeballing them for a snack...

Michelle - maybe the word hate was too strong but I do know we've had posts where people really "dislike" the birds because of the threat they pose.I would feel the same way if Tyler were in danger of being picked off so I totally understand. But I think all of nature is phenomenal and am so upset in VT that the bear and moose corridor on my road has in the past few years seen houses go up and I have no idea where the moose and bears have been pushed to settle. :smcry: It was their mountain and I miss seeing them (from a distance of course).

I love birds and trying to photograph them. Love that third last shot. I think It must have been nervewracking watching them trying to survive that busy area. I must admit I skimmed thru the feeding pics, but didn't see anything to bother me but thanks for the warning. I love seeing mother birds and their chicks, it is the sweetest thing, especially when the babies get as big as the mothers and look like big teenagers.
They are intesting to watch but I can understand the fear if they lived so close to me and were a threat to our pets.

I gave the warning more for some of the other photos on Lincoln's site. Some are way more graphic where you'd see what the "food" was.:w00t: But if you do look at Lincoln's archives you'll see some phenomenal close ups not only of all the hawks but also other birds and insects. I think they are National Geographic worthy I've used some as my screensaver.

Beautiful ! :wub:

They really are.

the story is sad, I feel for wildlife they are being pushed out of their area's and end up around people and guess who loses:huh: the pictures are amazine. I see many red tail hawks here and in AZ but those pictures are absolutely beautiful

Paula - It's such a treat to see wildlife close up. A lot of neighbors last year really were on hawk watch. Like aunties waiting for their babies to grow up. Kind of stalker aunties. :w00t: Everyone was taking bets on when they would fledge -(leave the nest and kind of hop from branch to branch and then finally try to fly.) I witnessed one who missed flying from one branch to another and fluttered to the ground. We were in shock not knowing how she/he would ever get back up to the nest. She/he then started hopping up a hill toward the highway. We were going nuts. :smpullhair: Someone had called Lincoln (he really is over the top defensive of these birds) and he appeared and grabbed the bird (got all scratched) to save it. He then put it on a low branch of a tree near the nest and within the next hour or so it hopped back up to where it belonged. Quite an adventure. I was kind of obsessed with it all last year but became so depressed when they were killed that I've tried to distance myself a bit this year.

 

[kathym]

Thank you Susan for sharing the most beautiful pictures with us.

 

[Moxie'smom]

fascinating! I had no idea!

 

[harrysmom]

Sue, I passed the link on to my daughter. She said that she
never noticed them. She runs in the park
every day so she'll be on the lookout from now on.

As I am typing this response, sitting on my back porch with the boys,
"our" hawk is sitting in a blue spruce tree about 10 feet away from me.
It's a red tailed hawk and it comes into my yard every day in search of
food. One time Steve went on the roof to get something out of the
gutters and it was sitting there looking at him...lol... it really startled
him... good thing he didn't fall of the roof!!! :blink::blink: It was pretty
small when it first started visiting, but now it is full grown.
Today it chased a blue jay out of the tree, but the blue jay got away.
I realize that they have to eat... but it's still sad to see them get a bird
or a squirrel or a chipmunk. I won't put bird feeders out anymore or fill
my bird bath because I don't want to make the birds in my yard easy
targets. And... I won't let the boys off of the porch when he's around. :new_shocked:

I do love watching the hawk, though, and I do think they're beautiful birds.
And the pictures were amazing! Thanks for sharing!!!

Debbie

 

[Snowbody]

Sue, I passed the link on to my daughter. She said that she
never noticed them. She runs in the park
every day so she'll be on the lookout from now on.

As I am typing this response, sitting on my back porch with the boys,
"our" hawk is sitting in a blue spruce tree about 10 feet away from me.
It's a red tailed hawk and it comes into my yard every day in search of
food. One time Steve went on the roof to get something out of the
gutters and it was sitting there looking at him...lol... it really startled
him... good thing he didn't fall of the roof!!! :blink::blink: It was pretty
small when it first started visiting, but now it is full grown.
Today it chased a blue jay out of the tree, but the blue jay got away.
I realize that they have to eat... but it's still sad to see them get a bird
or a squirrel or a chipmunk. I won't put bird feeders out anymore or fill
my bird bath because I don't want to make the birds in my yard easy
targets. And... I won't let the boys off of the porch when he's around. :new_shocked:

I do love watching the hawk, though, and I do think they're beautiful birds.
And the pictures were amazing! Thanks for sharing!!!

Debbie

Debbie - Tell you daughter to look just north of the Boat Basin Cafe at 79th Street in Riverside Park in the trees to the east of the Hudson. Not hard to find since here's usually a gaggle of people (not geese:HistericalSmiley around there watching as well as Lincoln shooting the photos. I bought binoculars last year just for viewing them. I think I might have to see them today.

I do know it's a different thing when they're in your yard. You are lucky that Steve wasn't too spooked. At Riverside the Blue Jays were constantly darting at the hawks and taunting them. You would often listen for the Blue Jays distinctive call and see the hawk sitting nearby. We used to feed the birds in winter in VT and the Blue Jays were so aggressive that they scared all the other birds away. We had chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, yellow grosbeaks, finches,etc. A while back an owl started hanging out looking for food. He usually got a red squirrel or chipmunk but I loved those little critters. The owls are so huge and so fast. I have to remind myself that it is all nature's cycle but I hate to see the swoop. I never let Tyler off leash here or there.

 

[harrysmom]

Debbie - Tell you daughter to look just north of the Boat Basin Cafe at 79th Street in Riverside Park in the trees to the east of the Hudson. Not hard to find since here's usually a gaggle of people (not geese:HistericalSmiley around there watching as well as Lincoln shooting the photos. I bought binoculars last year just for viewing them. I think I might have to see them today.

I do know it's a different thing when they're in your yard. You are lucky that Steve wasn't too spooked. At Riverside the Blue Jays were constantly darting at the hawks and taunting them. You would often listen for the Blue Jays distinctive call and see the hawk sitting nearby. We used to feed the birds in winter in VT and the Blue Jays were so aggressive that they scared all the other birds away. We had chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, yellow grosbeaks, finches,etc. A while back an owl started hanging out looking for food. He usually got a red squirrel or chipmunk but I loved those little critters. The owls are so huge and so fast. I have to remind myself that it is all nature's cycle but I hate to see the swoop. I never let Tyler off leash here or there.

Wow... I've never seen an owl in the wild.... I bet that's amazing!!
Keep Tyler close!

 

[LitGal]

Those photos are beautiful! Thanks for sharing them.

 

[njdrake]

I think that was very interesting and the photography was amazing.
We have hawks here and one sits in my tree out front. That makes me nervous!! I enjoyed the story and pictures but I hate seeing them here.:w00t:

 

[Snowbody]

Here are the babies again. A much better shot of them:
http://site.palemale.com/08august2010-1774

 

[Maidto2Maltese]

Though I do have a bit of 'fear' of the hawks....in our area, I do admit I love to watch them soaring over the fields.. there's an awesomeness about them. Though I don't worry quite so much as I did with little Missy as my twirps are bigger, but I still am very cautious.
Those photos are amazing!

 

[jpupart]

Absolutely breathtaking photographs! Thank you for sharing the story and the link.

 

[donnad]

Sue, those pictures are absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing them.