Back to the Hood

Every once in a while I get to swing back into my old stomping grounds to check on the residents. Since no one blogs about the kestrels or peregrines of NYC I always make it a point to see how they are doing. Also on the list is the Cathedral of St. John hawks who have been going through their own trials and tribulations due to the presence of a new building taking shape right next to them. Their lone baby is visible and active and should be ready to get going in a few weeks. There was also a new crop of 4 young kestrels around Wadliegh! At Riverside, I managed to find both parents but signs of their brood were absent. If I had to look again, I would check the Church at around sunset. Last but not least was this sub-adult hawk stalking the nature trails of the North Woods.

Catching up with the Owlets in Rehab

I paid a visit to Tom's River Avian Care to check on the owlets progress. Turns out they are doing well and should be releasable by the end of summer. The littlest one had a broken leg from his fall but its all healed and now he just needs to exercise it. The eldest is mostly flighted and has a great mistrust for people which is great! I also got to visit a few of their other charges such as this adult male Great Horned Owl which was hit by a car. They also had an osprey which had been electrocuted by landing on a high tension wire. TRAC is the only raptor rescue center south of the Raritan and serves all of Central and South Jersey. At their peak they get over 1000 birds a year, many of them birds of prey. If you have a sick or injured bird, please give them a call!

Kestrel Fledges

These guys are popping out all over the City right now. Most of the emails I get are of a "small hawk" under a car. Thankfully its usually gone by the time I get there, meaning the bird is healthy enough to strike out again on its own. Here's a gallery of some recent close encounters.