A Hunter in the Ramble

There was a lot of hawk action on January 18. Part 6 of Hawky New Year! shows a first-year red-tailed hawk at Bethesda Fountain, then another young hawk hunting a squirrel near the rustic shelter in the Ramble. The hawk was flying around us as we fed the birds, and eventually swooped down right by me as it grabbed the squirrel. It ate half on the ground, then flew to a tree near the Oven and finished off the rest. There was also a Cooper's hawk in a tree over the Oven.

Young red-tailed hawk in the Ramble, Jan. 18, 2017

The alertness of the red-tailed hawk as he ate has been noticed with all the young first-year hawks we've been seeing with their prey. It's one thing to catch the dinner, another thing to eat it without having it stolen by another hawk.

There is some graphic hawk dining in this video.

The first two photographs are of the young hawk at Bethesda Fountain. The next photos are of the young red-tailed hawk who caught the squirrel. The last photo is of the Cooper's hawk above the Oven.

Hawks in the Snow

Hawky New Year! Part 3

The third video in the Hawky New Year! series covers the hawks seen in Central Park on Jan. 13 and 14. The 14th was a snow day, and I especially enjoyed watching the youngsters try to figure out what all the white stuff is.

First-year red-tailed hawk, Central Park, Jan. 14, 2017

Here's the third video in the series:

Hawky New Year! Part 2!

On this most horrible of days, I offer an alternative to watching the beginning of the end of our country: More hawks! Hawks do what they were created to do, and thus are Nature at her purest. Unfortunately, humans choose to do destructive things, and often the hawks and other animals pay the price. So while we await with trepidation the further destruction of our environment, I offer more photos of the young hawks in Central Park, taken Jan. 11 and Jan. 12.

Young red-tailed hawk in the Ramble, Jan. 12, 2017

I've called the video series Hawky New Year! This is Part 2, Jan. 11-12. Warning: there is some graphic hawk dining (a rat) in this video. Hawk chasers have learned that the raptors' dining habits make them who and what they are, and if you want to learn about red-tailed hawks, you will at some point watch them eat.

Lots of photos below, from both days.