Another Nest

I went into Prospect Park at the end of the day to look for the hawk nest.

There was about an hour of amber, winter sun left tonight, when I decided to run into the park to look for some Snowdrops. They are one of the first bulbs to flower in the late-winter and a sure sign that Spring is coming.

I found a large patch of the white flowers emerging on the hillside east of Nelly's Lawn. I knelt down and put my head to the ground for an ant's-eye view. The down-turned buds lining a path through the leaf litter looked like Lilliputian lampposts. I tip-toed around the carpet of blooms, making sure not to crush any while looking for the perfect lighting. There used to be another early blooming flower in that spot, Scilla siberica, but I couldn't find any of the blue blossoms.

When I finished I began scanning the pines nearby, for signs of a hawk nest. Ironically, it turned out that I was crouched down, taking photos, right beneath the nest. The Red-tailed Hawks must have been working on that nest for a while because it was already quite large. I included a cropped inset in the photo, so you can get an idea of the size. Red-tailed Hawks will sometimes commence work on a nest only to abandon it and build another one in a different location. We should know within the next week or two if this is the final nest.

Also, I was very disappointed to learn that the Great Horned Owls have abandoned their nest in the cemetery. I don't know the reason. It is still an active cemetery so perhaps there had been interments or visitors that came too close to them.