Uptown Birds

With my home situation in transition still, I decided to spend Sunday checking up on the bird situation Uptown. There is significant activity up at the St. John's nest, but still no confirmed chick sightings. I then swung up to CCNY to investigate the nest there. I found the female perched near the nest.





After looking down at the nest a few times, she swung off and then dive bombed an unseen crown on the west side of Shepard Hall. After circling around, she made a few vocalizations towards the nest...I assumed she was calling to her chicks.







None-the-less, I did not see a feeding or witness any movement in the nest despite being there for an hour. On another note, I did observer 1 towhee, 1 male and 1 female common yellow throat, 1 parula, 1 btblue warbler and these two beauties!



All but the house finches were firsts for St. Nicholas Park as far as I know.

I then headed further uptown, where I spotted the female kestrel atop her favorite perch at 152nd. She was hunting hard and I lost site of her as she dove after some sparrows.

I did see this pigeon guarding its nest from the raiding kestrel.

Working still further north, I meandered through Highbridge Park where there were over a dozen orioles calling melodiously in the trees. There were also numerous tree swallows, chimney swifts, btblue warblers, yr warblers and numerous parulas. This one flew in for a bath amongst a crop of HOSPs.





From there I went to the red-tailed nest, but not before spotting the male chasing off some crows above.

On the nest, I was just in time for a feeding!

Yay!

After feeding, this one flapped about for a few minutes, took a squirt, then it was nap time. I then moved on to Broadway Bridge. After a few minutes of waiting, the female flew into the scrape with food.


I did not witness a feeding due to the sun's position directly overhead, but the female flew in and out a few times, giving me great looks!






Last but not least I headed to Inwood Hill where I witnessed both parent around the nest and a feeding, but it was too leafed out to get a shot. I also witnessed many tanagers, orioles, yr warblers, btblue, btgreen and thrushes. All in all it was an exhaustive but exhilarating day. As I walked to the train, I witnessed this huge flock of geese migrating north at the edge of the advancing weather front!

Upon returning home I learned the bitter news of the 79th St. nest failure, thus dampening my mood. Hopefully there will be enough time for this pair and the 5th ave nest to try again. Last but not least, I got an email from a reader who says the Triboro Hawks are back, but on the opposite side of the bridge. He thinks there are three babies there. I will try to get over there to investigate.

In a final note, I witnessed this red-winged blackbird being hand fed over by turtle pond. The bird greedily ate the seeds offered, but in a ironic twist, quite painfully bit the hand that fed him! In the future, I recommend a bird feeder.