Northern Manhattan Raptors

Starting at 125th St. and ending at Broadway Bridge, raptor pix from today's variable light.
Female kestrel on my roof.

She flies off to the cell phone tower just outside NYSC!

I made my way onto 125th Street,


where I tracked her North to 126th.

She then flew out where I lost her over 125th and 7th Ave.
Trying my luck North I found a number of hawks along the way, such as the Hood Hawk on the trash chute for one of the St. Nicholas Houses.

I also caught up with the Inwood female.


She flew out when I got too close. As I cut across east, I soon encountered a strange cachophony, as if I was under the spell of a weird ventroloquism. That is to say I could not tell where the sound was coming from, nor what could be making it. It sounded vaguely crow-like, but gutteral, like a distant croaking. Curling along the Harlem River, I made my way into a parking lot where I witnessed a remarkable sight. About 40 crows were in a tree, doing whatever it is crows do, but mostly just crowing.

There's 29 alone in the pic above. This one seemed to be the leader.

They would land in that tree crowing like mad, then circle around and make their way across the River to the Bronx side.

Where there were about 30 more! At one point a RTH did circle through above them, but they ignored it. Finally I paid a visit to the peregrines at BwayBrdge. I found the male and the female together, with she making the territorial eee-chuck calls.

Eventually the male flew out.

and landed on the edge of the south tower.

Later the female flew out waaaay over Kingsbridge,

The male also took off an returned with a huge pigeon!

Blue Hawk

I found this gal on 125th, perched next to a perriwinkle best buy sign.

125th St. Raptors!

As winter progresses, the resident raptors are now displaying more territorial behavior. Courtship displays can be seen high over Morningside, with hawks, peregrines and redtails all sharing the same airspace. On Sunday I witnessed the Cathedral Pair courting on the stiff wind, and then an aborted copulation attempt!



After this attempt, the female flew north, slicing right past me!

Much to my surprise, she continued waay, waay north, where I lost her over Drew Hamilton.

In her wake, a juvy RTH made a move on some pigeons roosting on the Apollo.

Later on the Riverside Peregrine Pair paid me a visit...wheeling high overhead!



Last but not least, this Turkey Vulture, slicing in from the North!

Eagles on the Hudson

Today I joined Urbanhawks and Novahunter for a jaunt to Westchester County for the 5th Annual EagleFest. Oh and what a festival of Eagles it was! Our count--which spanned Croton Point Park, George Island, The Paddle Courts and parts of Bear Mountain--was between 60 and 80 eagles. We also spotted 5 redtailed hawks, 1 northern harrier and 3 black vultures. Here's some pix of the highlights!











Possible raven!

Bike Trip around Manhattan

Due to the warm weather, I decided to do a bike tour of all of Northern Manhattan. Starting at 125th St., over to the Harlem Piers, then North all the way to Inwood, around to Broadway Bridge, and then south via the Harlem River, I was able to make a pretty in-depth survey of over-wintering wildlife.

Here's a tally of what I found:
At the Harlem Piers, two canvasbacks continue,

while there were also these newcomers...

3 American Black Ducks!
I was also able to observe the Riverside Peregrines, and 1 adult

and 1 juvy RTH over this section of Riverside Park. Working North, the park was devoid of all waterfowl save for one or two mallards, scads of ringbilled gulls

and 1 small group of Canada Geese (much depreciated from their numbers even last week).
At the GWB, I saw no evidence of peregrines, eagles or any other raptor, but working just 5 blocks to the North, was a very shy and secretive Adult RTH moving down along the Henry Hudson Parkway. It was here that I almost died due to the icy/slush conditions! Regaining my composure, I passed Ft. Tryon and up into Inwood Hill. Songbird activity was hushed, no doubt due to the presence of hawks. At the Ranger Station, I observed 4 Redtailed Hawks--2 adults and 2 juvys--kettling up over the soccer fields.

They scattered in different directions, and I scanned the waterline for more ducks. Finally after scouring the nooks and crannies, I discovered a raft of 6 more Canvasbacks!!!

Including this shy female (a lifer).

Refueling at Indian Road Cafe, I then shot over to Broadway Bridge, where I encountered the 2 resident peregrines hunting along the towers as well as 2 more redtailed hawks way out over Kingsbridge.



Here's the remains of breakfast.

The light and relative warmth made for an enjoyable afternoon here. If I had more time, I would've stayed till night fly-in. But now to the South I traveled, hitting up Swindler's Cove on the Harlem River. I found many ring-billed gulls, mallards,

more black ducks and this gal, skulking in the trees!



I was not able to observe the Highbridge Pair of RTH's, but way out over 180th in the Bronx I did see 2 adult RTH's circling each other...perhaps the Fordham U. pair?
By now I was pretty beat, so I exited off the bike path onto 155th for my final surprise...

The overwintering Merlin, high on a Watertower.

Species totals:
4 peregrines, 2 riverside church, 2 broadway bridge.
10 rths, 1 125th st, 1 145th St. 1 185th St., 4 Inwood Hill, 2 180th over the BX and 1 over Highbridge and 155th.
2 Coopers: 1 Swindler's Cove, 1 Kingsbridge
10 canvasbacks: 2 harlem piers, 6 columbia boathouse, 2 Harlem River
10 black ducks, 3 harlem piers, 7 Swindler's Cove
near-death experiences: 2
surveying so much natural beauty in NYC: priceless!