Pale Male's Kids

Pale Male and Octavia have three baby hawks this year, and on June 1, the first kid fledged. On June 2, that kid was hanging out on Pilgrim Hill, south of the model boat pond. A second youngster left the nest on June 2, but was not terribly thrilled about spending the first day on a next-door building on an eighth-floor balcony, and was back on the nest on June 3.

The first of Pale Male's kids to fledge

The second to fledge, on a balcony

So it's time for more Chasing the Hawks in Central Park videos, and I filmed these two youngsters, plus Mom and Dad, on June 2. The second fledgling is a real crybaby, but I wasn't able to obtain clear sound of the wailing because the street noise was so loud, so I removed the audio. The photos and video of these birds were taken with the new Sony camera. I'm not yet sold on it, but will have to get used to it, I suppose.

The photos are not quite what I'd like, but I'm still getting used to the camera. They are a record of one of the first days after fledging. Octavia came to visit the first fledgling on top of a pine tree after bringing in a pigeon, but the shot didn't come out.

Whatever You Say, Willet!

A willet (Tringa semipalmata) joined about a hundred ruddy turnstones on June 1 on a pier at Broad Channel Park in Jamaica Bay and gave them all a talking-to. I'm not sure what this large shorebird was saying to the smaller shorebirds, but the bird was very loud! I filmed the willet for a couple of minutes, and I present the lecture in my most recent Filming the Feathers video.

A willet with ruddy turnstones, June 1, Broad Channel Park, Jamaica Bay.

I added a little music at the end of this short video, because the willet seemed to need a little accompaniment. As you will see, the turnstones weren't all that impressed. Soon after this video, the willet and the turnstones took off (the nearby osprey stayed a while longer).

I enjoyed photographing the willet, even though most of my shots show an open mouth!

Killdeer, the Shorebird Jailbirds

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) aren't wearing striped prison uniforms because they murdered Bambi. They got their name from their excited call of kill-deer! But they do have those horizontal stripes, which make them very recognizable. These shorebirds are often seen away from the beach, in fields, lawns, golf courses and open areas. The first killdeer I saw and photographed, on Feb. 24 of this year, was playing second base on a ballfield in the North Lawn of Central Park. On May 20 and May 27 I got good looks at the killdeer on Governors Island, where they nest. Killdeer are plovers, with their large, round heads, large eyes and short bills.

Killdeer, Governors Island, May 27, 2017

I highly, highly recommend a video on YouTube by Cathy Weiner (quoteny) showing killdeer mating. It is absolutely beautiful and fascinating.

In my Filming the Feathers video, you can hear a killdeer calling, but it isn't the kill-deer! call they are known for. It is an insistent "Peep! Peep!" I put a couple of these calls at the beginning, before the Bach Brandenburg Concerto kicks in, in a version arranged for recorders and performed by Papalin.

Killdeer, Central Park North Lawn, Feb. 24, 2017

Killdeer, Governors Island, May 20, 2017

The first photo in this group was taken on May 20; the rest were taken May 27, both days on Governors Island.