Monday, March 17, 2008

Neighborhood Pix

Due to a busy work schedule, I've only been able to get fleeting glimpses of my neighborhood raptors. I regularly see the new Cathedral male darting over St. Nicholas Ave. when I leave for work in the morning. And he can be found cavorting around the Cathedral with his mate when it starts to get dark. After observing him now for a few weeks, it's clear this bird has an altogether different personality than the previous male. While the prior hawk was reticent and epitomized the red-tail as an ambush hunter, this bird uses a different approach. Using his energy and poise, he will hawk through the side streets, flushing all sorts of quarry. I watched him sprint from Wadliegh at some starlings.

Easily missing, he continued over me and into the park, keyarr-ing all the way.

After alighting on 300CPN, he transited the park again and lit off for Morningside, emitting a phrase like keyarr--mating whine--keyyar--mating whine alternately.

It was amazing to feel the confidence and prowess of this new hawk!

I also caught the kestrels together, but no mating was observed.

The tagged female.


The colorful male.



Its always darkest before the dawn!

1 comment:

Anthony said...

I'm here from Carnival of Cities.

This is a GREAT site! You make my heart SOAR!!

I hope you'll follow-up at my site and submit to the Surfer's Paradise Hullabaloo! carnival.

Better, if you're so inclined, I'd like to do a link exchange.

Did you by any change follow my link in comments at the carnival to What I See Out My Window? Wondering if, by chance, you have a view of any birds?

Will look forward to hear from you.