Red-tailed Updates plus an Unusual Hawk

I ran into Prospect Park yesterday to check on Nelly & Max's young hawks. In addition, I received a note from Bobby about one of the Unisphere offspring.

First, this note from Bobby Horvath came in this morning:

From: Robert Horvath
Date: June 2, 2009
Subject: Red-tailed fledgling

This boy fell from the Flushing Meadow Unisphere nest Sunday. Should be fine but don't know what the plan for him is yet. If we cannot get him back up to nest which isn't likely have to keep him till others, if there are, fledge and then we can return him to a tree with siblings. He was picked up by a park visitor and delivered to the Queens Zoo.

Also good news - Dr. Quisenberry called me Monday morning and she's back in business for raptors only at the Animal Medical Center. She got in a young screech owl with an eye issue, a kestrel and a starling which we took. Her hands are tied financially and cannot accept the large amount of songbirds, waterfowl and pigeons that they used to admit, but are willing to assist with birds of prey for now. They are a great asset and we are thrilled to have their assistance.

Thanks,

Bobby

*Note - The Animal Medical Center accepts donations, so if you'd like to give a gift of any amount just go to this link.

The trio in the nest on Nelly's Lawn are looking very healthy and headed towards fledge. They are hopping and flapping a lot, so I'm guess that next week the first should be leaving the nest. They are large enough now that they can easily be seen from the lawn beneath the nest. Two of the three were checking me out closely as I shot a little video of them.

I wasn't very optimistic, but decided to take one last look at Alice and Ralph's nest. Pine boughs, which the adults periodically add to the nest as a deodorant and insecticide, covered the nest and were withered and brown. They hadn't added any new ones in a long time. I heard some robin alert calls near the path between the Lower Pool and Esdale Bridge. I assumed that they were responding to the presence of either Alice or Ralph. On my way out I spotted the profile of a small hawk and, for a moment, became excited, thinking that it was a fledgling that I had somehow overlooked. As I got closer, it appeared to be too small for a Red-tailed Hawk. Once in front of the raptor, I realized that it was a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. Strange. I thought, "What's he doing here, he should be closer to Florida". The young raptor was perched about 100 yards west of Alice and Ralph's nest. If they had been successful this year, it is unlikely that they would have tolerated this hawk hanging around so close to their nest.