One of the oldest and most successful pairs nest across from Zabar's on the Upper West Side. I've been watching them since 2006 so they are now entering at least their seventh season. I found the happy couple perched across the street on a cell phone antenna.
Here's a shot of them copulating.
This is the male peeking out of the tiny entrance to the scrape.
This nest perfectly shows how difficult it is to find their scrapes and that's exactly how they like it since all kinds of other raptors will prey on them and their young. In fact, every single neighborhood in NYC has at least one pair nesting somewhere. The trick is finding them! Scouting around for other nests, I came upon a familiar male on the Great Hill.
This is the same male that killed the blue jay chick some weeks back and although he's got a junco here, the parents haven't forgotten. He stripped the carcass and flew off with it back to his nest, somewhere near 101st St.
Finally back in Harlem, the kestrels that normally nest on 120th have not returned, but the male that makes his home on 116th paid my building a visit.
From this pic its not hard to see why they are among my favorite birds!
