Central Park: Northern Pintail 17-Sep

Northern Pintail (Adult Non-breeding Male)
Central Park — Turtle Pond
Image by BEN CACACE
(Click image for detail)

This image taken on September 17th at 5:42pm EDT under low light conditions. Focal length in 35mm film equivalent was 420mm, exposure time was 1/80s, hand held with image stabilization at f/2.8.

Central Park: Reservoir 30-Aug-2006

An Eastern Clearing (detail)
Central Park — Reservoir
Images by BEN CACACE
(Click image for a wide-angle view)

The skies starting clearing while birding the reservoir tonight. No new migrants seen. Gadwall and Laughing Gull continue.

Photo taken around 6:45pm EDT from the running track on the reservoir's west edge — shutter speed 1/100s, f/4.5 with a focal length in 35mm equivalent of 38mm. Sunset was at 7:31pm EDT.

Juvenile Barn Swallows 18-Aug-2006

Fledgling Barn Swallows (detail)
Central Park — Reservoir
Images by BEN CACACE
(Click image for a wide-angle view)

Above are Barn Swallow fledglings from a nesting at the north end of Central Park's reservoir. This nest produced two broods this summer as did the nest at the reservoir's south end. Two swallows appear in the detail and four are in the wide angle view.

The image was taken on August 18th at 4:15pm EDT. Focal length in 35mm film equivalent is 420mm, exposure time is 1/160s, hand held with image stabilization at f/2.8.

Central Park: Prelude to a Storm 10-Aug

Reservoir Before a Storm (detail)
Central Park — Reservoir
Images by BEN CACACE
(Click image for a wide-angle view)

Tonight a storm roared through New York City shortly after I finished a tour of the reservoir. Seventeen species and nothing new seen.

The lightening was close by and it felt a bit dangerous being out there in the middle of it all.

For times like these I carry a dry bag to protect the camera. It's big enough to hold everything that can be damaged in a downpour inside my backpack.

Central Park: Sub-adult Red-tailed Hawk

Sub-adult Red-tailed Hawk
Central Park, NYC near Winterdale Arch
Image by BEN CACACE
(click image above / additional photos below)

A young Red-tailed Hawk showed up in Central Park this summer. On the 4th of July this hawk was photographed by Lincoln Karim. Lincoln has posted 10 photos of this one year old hawk which has just started to grow in its adult red tail feathers.

A Red-tailed's juvenile feathers drop out as the adult ones grow in after its first year. Lincoln's photos demonstrate this is a first year hawk and is considered a sub-adult. According to the books, adult plumage is acquired in a hawk's second year. A sub-adult may retain some juvenile wing and tail feathers before its second year molt.

The tail feathers (retrices) of a Red-tailed Hawk are numbered 1 through 6 starting from the center making up a total of 12 feathers. Each feather is paired symmetrically and preceded with the letter ‘r’. The r1 tail feathers are the centermost ones. When the tail is folded these feathers are visible when viewing a hawk from behind. The r6 tail feathers are the outermost ones and are visible on the folded tail when viewing a hawk from the front.

The tail feathers on this hawk, from the 4th of July photos, appears to have only adult r1s & r2s.

A few weeks after Lincoln's photos I spotted this hawk on the 18th, 19th & 23rd of July. At the time of these observations the r1, r2 & r6 tail feathers were red. The r6s were much shorter than the r1s & r2s.

I spotted this hawk again on August 4th which is when I took these photos near Winterdale Arch east of ‘Locust Grove’. In these images both the r3 & r4 feathers have grown in since the 23rd of July. The only juvenile tail feathers appear to be the r5s. Even with binoculars I wasn't able to pick up other juvenile feathers.

Will these r5 feathers remain until this hawk molts again next summer?

Click images for an uncompressed view of the tail

Central Park: Eastern Screech-Owl 4-Aug

Eastern Screech-Owl
Central Park Ramble — Bank Rock Bay
Images by BEN CACACE
(Click image for a larger view)

The photo above, taken on 4-Aug-2006 at 4:40p, shows an Eastern Screech-Owl with a reddish colored item hanging down the middle of its breast.

Click here to see an uncompressed view of the image.

In the past some of these reintroduced Eastern Screech-Owls were fitted with harnesses. The harness held a transmitter used to track their movements. The red feature in the photos may be a remnant of this system.

On 29-Apr-2006 Cal Vornberger took a photo of an Eastern Screech-Owl with a similar item hanging down its breast. Visit Cal's site to read about & view images of a similarly appointed owl.

Central Park: Juv. Laughing Gull 25-Jul

Juvenile Gulls — Herring (left) & Laughing (right)
Central Park — Reservoir
Images by BEN CACACE
(Click image for a larger view)

The photo was taken on Tuesday, 25-Jul-2006 around 6:50pm at the reservoir. The gulls are both juveniles. The left one is Herring Gull. The right one is Laughing Gull. Both are local breeders around New York City.

The distance to the gulls was around 600 feet based on measurements using Google Earth. The details seen with the 17x doubler through the binoculars (8.5 times 2) exceeds the details in the photos by a hugh margin. The camera's focal length was 420mm (35mm equiv.).

The photo shows the size difference nicely along with the white belly and shape/length of the bill. The scaly appearance of the wings was obvious in the binoculars. This is the first juvenile Laughing Gull I've spotted on the reservoir. Could be I'm trying harder with the gulls this year.

Central Park: 30-June-2006 Anhinga

Click image for a view of the notes

This afternoon I spotted an Anhinga over the reservoir in New York City's Central Park. This is a fairly rare bird to see in the northeast. It was circling very low when I first spotted it and was less than half the width of the reservoir from where I was standing.

This post contains:
• a facsimile of the field notes & transcription of text
• copy of email sent to various lists
• a response from Angus Wilson - Chair of NYSARC
• the full details of sighting submitted to NYSARC
• 3 previous sightings of Anhinga reported to the NYC Rare Bird Alert

This observation was submitted to various Internet sites / email lists in order to get the word out so this rare New York State visitor may be seen again and hopefully photographed. My camera, unfortunately, was left at home due to the forecasted thunderstorm.

Here's a copy of my submission sent to various email lists:

Date: Friday, 30 June 2006 (3:25p-10:10p)
Location: Central Park - reservoir & Turtle Pond
Reported by: Ben Cacace

The Anhinga was seen between 4:20p-4:23p along the north edge of the reservoir. The Sun was at my back and the Anhinga was fairly low over the reservoir just east of me. It was gaining height - circling & flapping. The flapping came in bursts from 3 to 5 wingbeats. When the bird held its wings out to glide the wings were just about perfectly level. This effect was more hawk-like than cormorant-like.

From the neck to the bill there was a taper. The bill was thin and there were no bulges from the neck towards the bill. Very elegantly built. Much lighter and more aerodynamic than a cormorant.

The bird was all black. No white was noticed anywhere. No yellow was noticed anywhere.

After circling a few times it headed NE or 'Manhattan North'. Please keep an eye out for this bird. My camera, of course, was at home.

'Bull's Birds of New York State' has the status for Anhinga as 'Casual vagrant':
- Casual: 2 to 6 records
- Vagrant: a species that appears on an irregular basis and whose normal migratory and breeding range does not include New York State

The following was submitted to NYSBirds-L by Angus Wilson (Chair NYSARC) in reference to the Anhinga sighting:

From: Angus Wilson
Subject: [NYSBIRDS-L:3766] RE: NYC, Central Park, Fri. 30-Jun-2006: Anhinga
To: NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu
Date: Sat, 01 Jul 2006 17:46:25 -0400

To follow up on Ben Cacace's posting, only two NYS records of Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) have been accepted by NYSARC.

NYSARC#1992-40-A: one over Central Park, Manhattan, New York Co., 28 April (submitted by Joseph DiCostanzo). This is the first record of the species for New York.

NYSARC#1996-45-A: one at Cornell University Ponds, Unit 2, Town of Dryden, Tompkins Co., 10 June (submitted by Dennis Hasselquist). This is the second record for the state.

This has been a difficult species because most claims have involved birds seen in flight only. Several additional reports may well have been valid but suffered from minimal details and lack of photographic or multi-observer corroboration. I strongly encourage Ben to submit full details of his sighting and if there were any other observers, for them to do likewise. As with any rare bird report, it is imperative to carefully explain how other candidates species (in this case: cormorants, herons and so on) were ruled out.

Obviously, everyone in the metro area should keep a sharp lookout and perhaps check local bodies of fresh or brackish water, preferably with suitable trees and snags!

Cheers, Angus Wilson
New York City & Chair of NYSARC

Discovery details submitted to NYSARC for the Anhinga sighting from Central Park's reservoir in New York City on 30-June-2006 at ~4:20p EDST

Optics: 8.5x42 binoculars

Distance: Approximately 1,200 feet (0.22 miles) away. Distance determined by Google Earth's distance tool.

Height: when the bird was first seen it was rather low. Probably no more than the height of a 5 or 6 story building. It didn't climb very high before heading in a north-east direction. Only the ventral portion of the bird was clearly seen.

Color: the feathered parts of this bird appeared black from bill to tail. A Double-crested Cormorant always appears to me to be some variation of dark brown — never black. I was looking for patches of other colors on this bird but none were seen. No white was seen anywhere. No yellow patches, like a Double-crested Cormorant, were seen on the face.

Feather condition: since the bird was seen in flight & gliding at times the molt pattern was obvious. No feathers were missing from the trailing edge of the wings or from the tail.

Head & neck: there was a bend in the neck where the neck meets the body. Looking from the neck to the bill the neck became thinner until the bill was reached. I didn't note any color on the bill. Just that the bill appeared long & thin.

Flight: the bird was seen in flight only. It was circling up — flapping & gliding. When the bird set its wings after a short burst of flapping the wings were level like you would see on a Peregrine Falcon.

I stayed awhile after seeing the Anhinga to watch the Double-crested Cormorants in flight. The cormorants overall looked heavy and the cormorants never exhibited level wings when the cormorants occasionally glided. Whenever I've watched D-c Cormorants circling, after taking off from a body of water, the flapping was continous. I've never seen an easy gliding pattern in cormorants like I saw on the Anhinga.

The gliding in the Anhinga was easy and lasted longer than the flapping did. This flight pattern in the cormorants was completely reversed when viewing the cormorants after spotting the Anhinga.

The Anhinga's wingbeats came in bursts of 3—4 flaps with one lasting 5. I counted less than half a dozen flapping sequences. The Anhinga's gliding was effortless which is something I haven't noticed in a cormorant.

Tail: the tail was long. Probably as long as the length of the head & neck. A crude outline of the tail appears on my blog in the image of the field notes which were written down just after viewing the Anhinga.

Transcription of left hand page from 4th line down:

• Anhinga: very small head
• [Drawing of head & neck] bend in neck
• [Drawing of tail] longish tail
• [Drawing of wing] curve to trailing edge of wing
• Wing beats from 3-5 / then set very flat
• From NW edge of res[ervoir]
• After circling a # of times it headed N
• No white noticed anywhere; very long thin neck unlike [Double-crested Cormorant]
• Thin dark bill, no yellow noted anywhere
• Sun was at my back, I was looking SE
• [Drawing of wings] wings held very flat like a hawk

From the BIRDEAST archives — 3 Anhinga sightings reported to the NYC Rare Bird Alert:

NYC Area RBA: May 31, 2001: Mon. 28-May-2001, In Central Park [...] certainly the most unexpected report was of a female-type plumaged ANHINGA soaring over the park, going north on Monday.

NYC Area RBA: Sept. 22, 2000: Mon. 18-Sep-2000, Good hawk flights last Monday in the morning along the Westchester coast produced a nice surprise - a female-type ANHINGA, identified as it soared overhead for several minutes in a thermal with a BALD EAGLE and an OSPREY over Playland Park in Rye.

NYC Area RBA: Oct. 2, 1998: Mon. 28-Sep-1998, Certainly startling was the report of a bird believed to be an ANHINGA seen late Monday afternoon by a single observer as it circled over Prospect Park Lake, the bird eventually moving off in a northerly direction.

Central Park: Black Skimmers (2006)

Black Skimmer Flying with Needlefish
Nickerson Beach, Long Island, United States
Image by CAL VORNBERGER
(additional Skimmer images by Cal — click images to advance)

Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) have been visiting Central Park over the past few years feeding at night on several bodies of water including Turtle Pond, The Lake, Conservatory Water & The Meer.

They're back! All sightings have been on Turtle Pond near Belvedere Castle & The Delacorte Theatre. Bob Levy was first to report on their return this past Sunday (11-June). No more than 3 skimmers have been seen simultaneously.

The earliest on-line record, from the past few years is from the NYC Rare Bird Alert for August 6, 1999 transcribed by Gregory Kunkel. If anyone has personal observations earlier than this or a source for an an earlier date please drop me a line.

‘The Birds of North America Online’ entry for Black Skimmer (by Michael Gochfeld & Joanna Burger) mentions the following on foraging behavior:

“Foraging distance from colonies variable. On Long Island, NY, main feeding areas <= 8 km from colony”.

The map below shows two circles surrounding Central Park. The inner one has a radius of 8 kilometers or 5 miles. The outer one doubles the radius to 10 miles.

Click image for a larger, more detailed view

Both circles above exclude the barrier beaches on the south shore of Long Island where Black Skimmers are known to breed.

Are there any known Black Skimmer breeding sites within the inner or outer circles? It would be good to know how the <= 8 km number was arrived at!

Facts from Birds of North America:

• Strikingly dimorphic in size — males are larger than females
• Relatively large pupil which constricts to a narrow vertical slit, a unique feature among birds
• Fossil History: Known from Tertiary strata of Patagonia
• Other Species:
   • Indian Skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) has a white collar and an orange-yellow bill
   • African Skimmer (Rynchops flavirostris) is the smallest of the three species. It has brown underwing coverts and an orange-red bill with a yellow tip.
• Both sexes have incubation patches

Peregrine Falcon Update: 31-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Last night, Wed. 31-May-2006, I spent over an hour searching for signs of the nesting Peregrines over the southeast corner of Central Park. No signs of any falcons over this short timespan.

There are some strong signs that the human activity around the nest may have been too much for the falcons to tolerate.

Last night I spotted, on the west face of the G.M. Building, six (6) brand new metal beams protruding from the side of the building.

The walkway the workers use to install these beams is on the same level as the nest & only a few feet from the site where the adults had been exchanging places in order relieve each other from nesting duties.

The beams have metal tabs near the middle of their length. It appears someone will be draping something from these supports. If it is a huge canvas sign then the recently installed roof lighting is there to illuminate this object.

My feeling is that this probably has something to do with the ‘Apple Store’ located directly below.

Next year will be, for me, the 11th year seeing Peregrine Falcons using this territory without seeing the results of a successful nesting.

Hopefully a place can be found in their territory where a nest box can be installed so these Peregrines can finally raise young over Central Park.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 23-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

For an hour & a half's observing I spotted a Peregrine Falcon only once. It was definitely the male & it was flying in from the north heading east. Before disappearing it passed over the Plaza Hotel.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 5:45p — 7:20p

Highlights: the activity around the nest has changed dramatically since the 16th of May which was the last day of ‘normal’ nesting behavior. No prey has been brought to the nest this season for the limited amount of time spent at the site.

• By 6:10p the male was flying in from the N. I spotted it in front of the Pierre Hotel at about half the height of the building. It then headed W over the Plaza Hotel & disappeared behind some trees.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 22-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Tonight was a bit more active compared to last night. There were three passes by a lone Peregrine Falcon over the 2.5 hours of observing from Gapstow Bridge. No activity was witnessed around the nest site on the north face of the G.M. Building. One sighting was of a Peregrine handling prey. No gender was determined for any of the flybys.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 5:50p — 8:20p

Highlights: no activity around the nest.

• By 6:01p a Peregrine flew in from the W over the I.B.M. Building. I lost it as it headed E behind the G.M. Building.
• By 6:29p a Peregrine, possibly the male, was seen flying low over the SE corner of the park heading NE. It disappeared behind trees & was carrying prey.
• By 6:47p a Peregrine was seen over 650 Madison Ave. (green glass building N of G.M.) heading N along the E side of the park. It spotted something & dove on it just E of the Dairy. The Peregrine did not reappear.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 21-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Tonight was the least active night since monitoring the Peregrines this year.

As I mentioned in a previous post the behavior of both adults changed radically on the 17th of May. This was when both adults started spending significant time away from the nest site.

Since there is no way of knowing what is truly happening with the falcons on the G.M. Building speculation will temporarily rule until some facts come to light.

At first I thought this change meant that the nesting had failed. The last mating was seen on the 13th of April which should indicate that this is well within the normal time for taking care of nestlings.

After watching the activites surrounding the Rochester, N.Y. Peregrine Falcons from KodakCam's ‘Unofficial Archive’ I can see that the behavior of the G.M. pair is similar to the upstate pair which are taking care of 13-15 day old nestlings.

More time needs to be spent observing this pair to determine if food is being brought to the eyrie. This should be a decent indicator that nestlings are being cared for. Up to three hours a night doesn't appear to be enough time to observe this behavior.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 5:25p — 8:40p

Highlights: little was seen from the pair & 40+ minutes with neither adult at the nest site.

• When I arrived no Peregrines were seen on any perches.
• By 7:57p a Peregrine was seen flying in from the N. It headed S along the E edge of the G.M. Building and wasn't seen again for the night.
• At 8:02p Donna was viewing through the LCD on the camera when she spotted a Peregrine exiting the nest site from the bottom of the fence.
• No falcons were seen again by the time we left the area at 8:40p.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 19-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Tonight I brought a portable chair to the site near Gapstow Bridge. This should be a welcome piece of equipment. Standing around for 2-3 hours can take its toll. There was a pleasant distraction tonight that may've lessened the details I would otherwise have picked up.

A pleasant surprise was seeing my friend Peter show up again to view the Peregrines & wildlife around The Pond. The pleasant distraction was Lily who arrived around 6:30p leaving around 8:00p. She had seen the Peregrine Falcons in the scopes on a previous night & dropped in to take in the sights.

Unfortunately no nest exchanges were observed but I might have missed a few details. When I arrived the female just left the nest and stayed off nest for a little more than 10 minutes. During this time the male was out & about. I left for home with the female on nest at 8:25p — 15 minutes after sunset.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 6:15p — 8:25p

Highlights: an excellent night for watching these nesting Peregrines.

• When I arrived the falcon (female) was up from a perch on the N face of the GM. By 6:17p she landed on the GM's N face, right section, 6 in from the W. By 6:19p the falcon flew to the NE corner of the GM's roof. By 6:20p the tiercel (male) was seen in flight. I wasn't sure where he flew off to.
• By 6:26p the falcon headed back to the GM's N face, right section, landing on a fence 6 in from the W. She dropped down to the level of the nest. No nest exchange was seen.
• By 6:28p the tiercel was spotted on the NE corner of the GM's roof. We (Peter & I) didn't see where he flew in from since we were focused on the nest area. He left by 6:48p to parts & direction unknown.
• By 7:20p the falcon perched on the GM's N face, right section, 3 in from the W. By 7:21p she flew to the NE corner on the GM's roof. I missed seeing her leave the nest between 6:26p & 7:20p.
• By 7:25p the female perched on the GM's N face, right section, 6 in from the W then dropped down to the nest.
• By 7:30p the male was seen flying around the GM but he didn't stay to perch in a place visible to us (Lily & I).
• I left the area around 8:25p with the female still on nest — roughly 15 minutes after sunset.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 18-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons During a Deluge

At the office I took a look at the weather radar & noticed a storm approaching Manhattan. I did the only reasonable thing & headed to the park to see how the falcons would behave during this storm.

When I arrived the rain had not started yet & I spotted a falcon on the G.M. Building's north face. A few minutes later the rain started & the falcon stayed put. When the storm was in full force I watched the falcon move a short distance along the face of the GM twice. Both times were during the heaviest period of the downpour.

It was a ‘short’ night. I didn't stay until after Civil Twilight. I thought it was best to keep dry in order not to get ill. So far so good!

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 5:40p — 7:40p

Highlights: watched a falcon during a downpour & watched one nest exchange before leaving the site earlier than usual.

• The rain started around 5:45p.
• By 5:40p, before entering the park, I spotted a Peregrine on a fence on the GM's N face, right section, 3 in from the W. By 5:45p it wasn't visible from my position at the far S end of the park.
• When I arrived at the Gapstow Bridge site further N at 5:50p I could see the Peregrine tucked in deeply on the same perch. This is why it wasn't visible previously. This was also when the rain started to come down in buckets.
• By 5:52p it was on on another fence on the N face of the GM's center section, 1 in from the W. It stayed there until 5:59p when I saw it fly back to the previous perch. The rain was still coming down hard. By 6:30p it left this perch and I wasn't able to determine its gender & the rain had stopped by this point.
• By 6:44p a female Peregrine flew in from the S along the W edge of the GM landing on a fence on the N face of the GM, right section, 4 in from the W. This was the same falcon that I had watched perched during the storm. Three crows flew from the E towards the W & the female didn't bother escorting them off the territory.
• By ~6:54p the male appeared to fly to a perch on a fence on the GM from out of nowhere. I might have missed the male exiting the nest before flying to this perch. Otherwise the nest would've been unoccupied for at least an hour & twenty minutes. He landed on a fence on the N face, right section, 6 in from the W.
• By 6:56p both falcons were in the air. The female headed to the fence above the nest & the male flew to the roof on the GM's NE corner.
• I left the park around 7:40p with the male stilled perched in the same place.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 17-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Tonight (Wed., 17-May) a few people stopped by to view the Peregrines. A birder asked what I was up to & stuck around for few minutes excited to see if a Peregrine would show up.

Luke just happened to be there for the most active time of the evening. The male arrived perching on various spots on the G.M. Building. Soon the female left the nest site to meet the male for a in-flight prey transfer. We then watched the male head to the nest to drop in taking over incubation duties. The female headed south with the meal.

Later on his friend David stopped by. Also David & Debbie stopped by & then Donna arrived with a spotting scope. D., D.& D. & D. got to see one of the pair since there were no more nest exchanges for the evening. Something I thought was a guarantee.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 6:00p — 9:00p

Highlights: 5 non-avian visitors, 1 mid-air prey transfer, 1 nest exchange & an almost nest exchange where the female remained perched on the nest fence until it got too late to see her in the scope.

• At 6:01p spotted the tiercel on GM's roof, center section, west edge. I just scanned the area, saw nothing then spotted him on a favorite perch. Lost the male around 6:14p.
• By 6:49p male perched on a fence on GM's N face, 6 in from W, right section. Almost immediately he left the perch landing on roof of GM's N face, center section, E edge. The female emerged from the nest site & met him in mid-air for a prey transfer. Female headed E then S around GM. Male then perched on fence above nest & quickly dropped down to the nest.
• By 6:55p female arrived from the S to perch on GM's N face, center section, on a fence 8 in from the W.
• By 7:45p female off perch flying low towards E & around GM towards the S.
• By 8:25p female to the fence above the nest. She remained there until it became too dark to see her in the binoculars. Then we couldn't see her in the scope. Last time she was seen in the darkness was 8:53p — close to 15 minutes after Civil Twilight.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 16-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Tonight (Tue., 17-May) the male of the pair was perched on the roofs of the G.M. Building (GM) & the 9 West 57th St. building (9W). No nest exchanges occurred. Just to clarify — a nest exchange is when one of the pair takes over the incubation duties from the other.

Something of concern is happening near the nest site. Two banks of flood lights are being installed on the GM's roof around the corner from the Peregrine's nest. These are pointing down. I'm assuming this is for the new Apple Computer retail store opening up this Friday in front of the GM.

The lights overhang the roof's west face. The nest is on its north face. Hopefully this is a temporary situation & won't interfere with the nesting progress of this protected species. See images below.

Click image for a larger version

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 6:08p — 8:25p

Highlights: only the male was seen & a huge bank of lights were just installed on the GM's roof on its west edge.

• Upon arriving the tiercel (male) was on the N face of the 9W roof near its E edge. Two men were on the roof of the GM installing two banks of flood lights. The tiercel did not dive on the workers while I had him in view.
• By 6:14p the tiercel moved a bit onto the E edge of 9W facing W.
• By 6:16p the male headed W just shy of the Trump Parc building then proceeded to fly E just S & between the Park Lane hotel & 9W. I lost it behind 9W as it flew E.
• By 6:36p it flew to the roof of the GM's N face, center section, W corner. People are still on the roof working with the lights. No reaction from the male.
• By 7:08p the male is off the GM heading towards the W, low & behind 9W.
• By 7:12p I spotted a small falcon moving E along the N face of the GM. No falcons were seen after this. I left the site at 8:25p.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 14-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

After not seeing a single falcon last night it was reassuring to see both the male & female falcons this evening. During the two hours & forty-five minutes spent observing the Peregrines more time was spent not seeing any falcons from the Gapstow Bridge site.

«Click image for weather history for 14-May-2006»

For 80% of the time I was aware of the location of only one of the pair — this was the one that was on nest.

Even with all of this ‘inactivity’ there was quite a lot to see.

Highlights:

• When I arrived the male Peregrine Falcon was perched on a favorite spot on the W edge of the G.M. Building's center section.
• A mid-air transfer of prey, male feeding female, just N of the nest, was seen around 6:38p followed by a nest exchange with the male taking over the duties.
• A final-for-the-night nest exchange, leaving the female on nest, happened around 8:08p around 3 minutes after sunset.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 5:33p — 8:15p

• When I arrived at the site just W of Gapstow Bridge the male falcon was perched on the roof of the center section of the G.M.'s N face — W edge. By 5:39p he flew to the W edge of 9 West 57th St., banked, then landed on the E side of the building's roof.
• By 5:42p the male made a few passes at the W edge of the G.M.'s roof before landing on the previous perch on the G.M. It appeared the tiercel was concerned with something on the roof. Tonight, two window washing support structures were hanging over the W side of the building.
• By 5:43p the male flew from the G.M. towards the W with purpose disappearing behind some trees. By 5:45p he returned to a perch on 9W just out of sight. At 5:52p I thought I saw something shaped like a falcon heading S near 9W but it was only a brief look.
• No falcons were seen until 6:31p when the male was spotted heading E below roof level of the G.M.'s N face. He turned S. Then he was gone.
• By 6:36p the male arrived from the SW to land on the same perch on the center section of the G.M.'s roof.
• By 6:37p the female exited the nest to meet the male for an in-flight transfer of prey just N of the nest. Shortly after this the male falcon headed for the nest entering it at the base of the fence.
• The female then headed S along the G.M.'s W edge with the meal. Then she headed E & then she disappeared by 6:38p. Since she didn't bring the meal to the nest they are probably still incubating eggs. Hopefully these eggs are still in good condition.
• No falcons were seen until 7:10p when the female returned without prey & perched on the nest fence for a second before heading E.
• No falcons were seen until 8:08p when the female returned from the S along the G.M.'s W edge landing on the nest fence. She immediately dropped to the floor. The male appeared at the base of the fence within a minute & flew E well below the level of the nest along the G.M.'s N face. He flew around the building, heading S & ending the evening's observations.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 13-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Shortly after I arrived Donna showed up to check in on the falcons. No Peregrine was in view at the time & neither the male nor the female showed up during the 2 hours we were there.

I arrived around 6:30pm at the Gapstow Bridge site. Unfortunately, we can only assume that the female was on nest & the male traded places with the female before we arrived.

Click image for larger version

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 6:33p — 8:45p

Highlights: no falcons were seen while we were there.

• When I arrived no falcons were spotted on any of the usual perches or any of the unusual perches.
• Six Canada Goose goslings approached us on the lawn west of Gapstow Bridge. Both adults were attending the brood. The difference between the adult's white ‘chin straps’ is noticeable.
• The observing session started out sunny & proceeded towards ‘occasional drizzle’. The winds were out of the east yet again.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 12-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Donna, her daughter Sam & my friend Peter were at the Gapstow Bridge site to view the falcons. If was good to have Donna's spotting scope on hand to confirm the gender of the Peregrines. Company is great to have while waiting around for long periods without much to do!

For nearly two hours & 45 minutes either of the pair of falcons were visible. A couple of highlights include two nest exchanges & seeing the male falcon intercept a large raptor approaching their territory. This raptor appeared to be another large falcon — probably a female Peregrine.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 6:05p — 8:50p

• After arriving at the Gapstow Bridge site at 6:05p the male Peregrine was perched on the NW corner of the G.M. Building's roof. It left this perch at 7:05p.
• At 7:05p the tiercel (male) headed E with purpose. After traversing the space between 5th Ave. & Madison Ave. he appeared to come into contact with a large raptor, possibly another female Peregrine Falcon. The intruder headed N and by 7:07p the male was perched again on the NW corner of the G.M. Building.
• By 7:22p he flew to the roof's central section on its N face.
• At 7:25p when the male falcon was apparently leaving the territory the female left the nest to dive on something just E of the G.M. Building. We didn't see her intended target since she disappeared behind a building.
• By 7:27p he was seen again on the G.M.'s roof. Shortly after spotting him he headed directly to the nest & dropped down from the fence to the floor. The nest was unoccupied by an adult for approximately 2 minutes.
• By 7:30p the female stopped by the nest & dropped in for a moment but she soon returned to the fencing & left to perch on the G.M.'s W face 1 in from the S. This was a new perch for the group watching. She stayed here from 7:33p until 8:05p.
• By 8:05p she moved to a fence on the N face of the G.M.'s right section, 2 in from the W. By 8:07p she flew to the fence above the nest & dropped in on the male. Within a minute the male exited the nest site & perched on a fence on the G.M.'s N face, left section, 1 in from the east.
• By 8:09p the male falcon flew to the 9 West 57th St. Building's roof towards the E edge then shortly after flew to the NW corner of the G.M.'s roof.
• He stayed on this conspicuous perch until 8:47p — 13 minutes after Civil Twilight began. We didn't see him leave the perch and all regular roosts were checked. The area around the fences were no longer visible this late after sunset with binoculars.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin

Peregrine Falcon Update: 11-May-2006

Central Park South: Peregrine Falcons

Just before 7pm I entered the park from the south-east corner. Looking up I spotted a Peregrine perched on a fence below the roof on the G.M. Building's north face.

I couldn't tell its gender & tried to get to a better observing spot before it moved. The Peregrine was in position to drop to the level of the nest.

Before I made it to a viewing spot near Gapstow Bridge the falcon disappeared. Luckily Donna was there mentioning that it was the female on the fence & she just dropped to the nest. The male exited the site from a different location. This is the first time this has been witnessed.

The male falcon returned 40 minutes after leaving the nest and flew around the buildings south & east of the park. I spotted him flying south as far as the I.B.M. Building which is between 57th & 56th St. off Madison Ave.

He continued flying around at the height of the nest & higher for approximately 5 minutes. This was around 7:45p or 15 minutes before sunset.

The skies were completely overcast & the wind was blowing in from the east.

The male was not seen again for the night & he didn't choose to roost within sight of the bridge.

The Canada Goose goslings now number six.

Central Park's Gapstow Bridge 6:55p — 8:35p

Highlights: just missed a nest exchange & saw the male Peregrine fly around the territory for close to 5 minutes.

• While entering at Central Park's SE corner around 6:55p I spotted a falcon perched on a fence on the G.M.'s north face, right section, 5 in from the W.
• As I approached Gapstow Bridge around 7:01p the falcon was no longer there.
• Donna was observing & mentioned that the female was perched. The falcon had just dropped to the nest level & the male exited from a new location 7 in from the W edge of the building's right section.
• By 7:38p he was seen flying in from the S and stayed in the area of the eyrie flying N & S of the G.M. Building until 7:43p when it disappeared behind the G.M. It was seen as far S as S of the I.B.M. Building on 57th/56th St & Madison Ave.
• Since the female was on the nest we didn't expect to see the male again but hung around to see if he choose a roost within sight of Gapstow Bridge. The male falcon wasn't spotted by the time we left the park around 8:35p.

Related items:
• Peregrine Falcon updates — 2006: 13-Apr, 21-Apr, 24-Apr, 26-Apr, 28-Apr, 30-Apr, 4-May, 5-May, 6-May, 7-May, 9-May, 11-May, 12-May, 13-May, 14-May, 16-May, 17-May, 18-May, 19-May, 21-May, 22-May, 23-May, 31-May
• Earliest Peregrine Falcon Nest in N.Y.C.?
• Behavior of Peregrine Falcons in the N.Y.C. Region
      by Richard A. Herbert & Kathleen Green Skelton Herbert
• Obs. of Duck Hawks Nesting on Man-made Structures
      by Horace Groskin