Manhattan is for Birders!

Over the past two days I've had amazing bird luck. It began on Monday night as I was cutting across the Meer just before sunset. I glimpsed a familiar shape, glowing over Nutter's Battery in the late evening light.

I tried to creep closer...
and he perked up.

I knew it was time for him to go.




I tracked him to a sweetgum next to Lasker rink.

From there he flew off over the Blockhouse and alit on a water tower.


At that point, he was off again...




and I lost him behind the buildings along CPN.
As I was walking to the train, I spotted him a block away on an antenna.

And a RTH atop the buildings at CPN and CPW!

All of a sudden, the hawk was off and diving right at me!


damn light/lens couldnt focus...

how close is he?

So close I could hear the whoooosh!

He missed his quarry, and recomposed himself on a nearby limb.

Boy, he sure does look...well, um, pale.

I decided to go back to the kestrel and see if I could refind him. I soon did and tracked him for a few blocks until he flew into his nest!

Some luck, now if only I can get my camera to focus!
So then today, I'm running from the office when I look up on Canal St. and see this!

After mating there before the masses, the sat side by side.

And then the male flew directly into the nest! Wow, two kestrel nests in two days! So then I had to take care of some business on the UWS, and as I get off the bus at 94th st, I hear a male kestrel calling loud. As I look up, I see the female rush out and grab a sparrow that he'd brought her in mid-air! She then consumed at the nest, making this the third kestrel nest in two days! It is also the 7th kestrel nest this season on the island of Manhattan.
She reappeared on a railing.

and then was on top of a church, preening on her flying saucer!