Today I walked in Central Park with someone who asked me not to print her name in the blog after the one time it appeared. La-di-da. Of course I used only her first name, and it's not like her first name is Cher or Oprah. After I pointed out to her that she could have been anyone, I promised to honor her wishes. So let's pretend I went on a solo adventure.
Have you all heard about the famous red tailed hawk named Pale Male? I hope he doesn't mind my using his first and last name, but public figures are fare game. For years he and his hawk wife Lola have built an eight foot nest out of twigs and branches above the 12th floor window of 927 Fifth Avenue.
A few years ago there was a huge uproar when Paula Zahn and her husband, who was the president of the board, finally succeeded in having the nest removed. Their building was surrounded by protesters, one of whom lives in the building herself and is named Mary Tyler Moore. The backlash was so great that the following year the hawks were allowed to rebuild.
Last fall I was walking in the park with Sara (so now you know today's companion was not Sara) and we encountered Pale Male sitting in a low tree branch a mere ten feet off the ground. We stood underneath and observed him tear a pigeon limb from limb. It was like watching Wild Kingdom as tufts of feathers, still attached to bloody flesh, fluttered to the ground. If only I had had my camera and this blog then.
Today Mrs. X and I looked up at the nest from inside the park where there are always bird watchers with high powered telescopes aimed at the 12th floor of 927 Fifth. One of them told us that Lola was sitting on this year's eggs, though the nest is so deep would could not see her. We then headed into the depths of the park toward Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond. As we approached our destination we looked up just as a red tailed hawk circled overhead and landed in a nearby tree. I barely managed to get the photo you see above before he soared away.
AMAZING STORY AND PICTURES... KEEP US POSTED AS TO THE 'OUTCOME' OF THE OFFSPRING. WE'LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED.
Posted by: Irene | March 27, 2008 at 11:18 AM
We have a red tailed hawk that lives in our backyard and neighbors yard. One day, he called in a couple of friends and we watched them surround a squirrel that had climbed into one of our evergreen trees. We called the girls and watched this hunt go on for at least twenty minutes. The hawks gave up and flew away hungry. There was no way for them to get into the evergreen tree with such a large wingspan. That squirrel lived to tell his tale. Every now and again we will see the hawk perched outside our bedroom window on the telephone pole just waiting for that squirrel or chipmunk that lingers a moment too long underneath our bird feeders. Next time he visits I will try to take pictures.
Posted by: Michele Kelly | March 28, 2008 at 09:09 AM
YES! Be ready!
Posted by: Frank | March 28, 2008 at 12:55 PM