Hawk in the Loch

Some pix from a young redtailed hawk bathing in the Loch.


It rolled on its side...

then leapt from the water.

If You Love It, Let It Go!

Kestrel release party 2009!
Heading towards the Great Hill in Central Park.

Getting ready for freedom's sweet taste.

Release from the Big House!

Closeup of the male...

and the larger, duller female.


The double release!!


Peter gets his kestrel release on.

Enter the Dork!


Good luck little flyers...and much appreciation to the Horvath's for making our World a more beautiful one!

Spring Colors

Its peak warbler season in the City's Parks. Heres a sample from the North Woods in Central Park (109th St). An irruption of termites bought a range of passerines all feeding together!
Black-throated Green Warbler

American Redstart

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Maggie and Wood Thrush.

Black and White running off a Maggie!

Black-throated blue warbler and catbird together.

Black and White scaling the rockface.

Wood thrush on rockface.

Northern Parula

Blue-winged Warbler,

and the gorgeous Scarlet Tanager.

In a nearby flowering tree,

a male summer tanager!

Eyes Wide Green

I made a friend today. She told me photographs are an illusion. And I have to say I tend to agree. But there is also a part of me that says, if it is an illusion, then let me be illusioned. For it is none other than the hand of Master Illusionist, playing out his dream. And in this dream one drifts forever on the wind,

sipping nectar from cherry blossoms,

or standing in the willow's shadow.


If in this dream I loose all sense of time and space. Let me sleep

with my eyes wide green.

The Kestrel Report 2009

I've been working recently to follow up on the nesting American Kestrels in the Manhattan. Here are some of the results from 86th to 155th.
Starting with what I believe is the oldest kestrel pair on Manhattan, the 86th Street pair (at least 6 seasons). They nest in a modillion along CPW,

and I caught them copulating in a favorite ginko, just inside the Park.




Next up was the pair that frequent East Harlem. The male and female spun up together, circling high over Wildflower Meadow. I watched amazed as the male rocketed straight down into the wood at the top of the road,

making a hairpin turn and then land in the large tree overlooking the Meadow.




Soon a robin chased it off.
RDC says the kestrels I see in my nabe nest in this cornice on 116th.

Come June we will need to have some local help to make sure they dont get squished!
Further uptown, I caught up with this male on 145th St.



I tracked them further north to Jackie Robinson Park, where the old Yankee Stadium still stands (for now).

She tore off and soon, spun towards me. I only managed this shot once she had already entered the cavity.

Later while chatting with a friend in St. Nicholas Park...

this beauty showed up. All the robins when crazy chirping till she flew off to the North.

Great news so far on the kestrel front, lets hope the other raptor pairs fare just as well!